How to deal with a seasick dragon: Acts I to V (Story the 2nd)
by Marty the Martian
Summary: It's several months after the first Snoggletog with the dragons and Stoick is frustrated, Snotlout if flirting, Astrid is hiding, Gobber is exploding and Hiccup has a plan. But strange men are on a nearby island and they have everyone concerned. This will force a certain one legged Viking to alter his carefree lifestyle - not much - just a lot. Some Hiccstrid, romance and some war.
1. Chapter 1

1 An Interesting Idea

Around the world, there are many places where regular explosions are a normal part of life. Most of the explosions experienced in those places, are related to the high pressures to be found from within the earth itself. Volcanoes and geysers are two examples, but there are many possible sources.

This was not the case in the small village that lay on the western side of the snow covered island of Berk. Although there were also many reasons why a person may encounter an explosion in this charming little hamlet, the most common cause, ahead of incendiary eggs, was a noxious substance known as Zippleback gas.

The Vikings who make Berk their home are the kind of people who normally deal with any problem by either ignoring it, or by hitting it with something sharp and heavy until it simply wasn't a problem anymore. This was the way they had been dealing with the problem of all the rock that made up the cliff face beneath the southeast side of the village.

To the Vikings, it looked like the perfect place for an underground dragon stable, where their flying pets could come and go as they pleased without causing any chaos in the village above. So they had been dealing with the problem of having tons and tons of rock where a cave should be, by hitting that rock with something sharp, heavy or both until the rock turned into gravel and therefore wasn't a problem anymore. The utilization of this method would have continued for the months and years to come if it were not for the amazing discovery made by Gobber the Belch, blacksmith, saddler and off key singer, when he attempted a new method of getting quick heat into his forge.

Gobber had previously used the white hot lava produced by his pet Gronckle as a heat source but when the lava had cooled, it had solidified at the bottom of the forge meaning that he no longer had a forge, but a pizza oven. Next he tried the intense heat of the flame produced by Nightmares and Nadders, but although that had seemed like a good idea, it only succeeded in consuming the wood, coal and charcoal in the fire pit before it could be of any use to him. The blue plasma blast of the Night Fury had only succeeded in blowing a large hole in the back of his forge, so he had decided at last to see if he could use a small amount of Zippleback gas to start the much needed fire.

When ignited in the open, the green gas would simply erupt with an intense heat for several seconds and then fully burn out in less than half a minute, but when Gobber had filled the fireplace with gas from the two headed dragon, the vapor had seeped into every crack and join throughout the forge. When the gas was ignited, the whole building was destroyed in one massive explosion.

"GOBBER; ARE YOU ALRIGHT?" Chief Stoick called into the smoke filled wreck that once was the blacksmiths work shop.

The hide of a dragon is very resistant to heat and flame; fortunately for all the people of Berk, the dragons are fully aware that their pet Vikings are not. And so as the fire had erupted inside the building, the Zippleback had protected Gobber by wrapping its right neck around him and quickly moving the man behind its body. Pigg the Gronckle was sleeping against the side wall at the time of the blast and was hurled half way across the village, but it would take much more than a small building demolition to injure a thick skinned beast like him.

"Over here Stoick" Agnar called from the other side of the wreckage.

Barf &amp; Belch carried the dazed Viking away from the dust and smoke, and placed him on the ground near the man who had formally been in charge of first aid onboard Stoicks flagship. That was before the ship was destroyed, along with the rest of the fleet, only eight months ago by the Red Death; a giant dragon that had stood almost one hundred feet tall and was over three hundred feet long.

"How does he look?"

"One head, one arm and one leg; he's all here Chief" Agnar was pleased to say.

Other villagers and dragons gathered around to see what had caused the loud noise and what the result of it was, as Stoick tried to get some sense out of the still dazed blacksmith

"Gobber can you hear me, can you understand me?"

His head spun and his eyes struggled to focus as Gobber slowly began to come around.

"Sing me a song Barbra; the night is filled with voices."

"I think he's gonna be okay Chief" Agnar grinned as he stood.

Gobber sat on the ground recovering with Pigg at his side, while his friends went through the mess that was once his forge and workshop. Some were stacking up the larger stone blocks to use in the rebuilding and others carried away the rubble, while every useable or reparable tool and weapon they found was placed in a pile well away from the site to be sorted later.

"Have a look at this Gobber" Starkard and Thorfinn approached with some rocks in their hands.

"We've found a few like this and we think they show us what caused your workshop to blow up" Starkard pointed out.

"I know what made me workshop blow up; it was me thinkin' I could use Zippleback gas to get some heat into me forge without having to wait for it in the normal fashion."

"But look at these blocks Gobber" Thorfinn showed him two large pieces of stone that fit together perfectly to show that they had once been a single solid building block.

"So the blast was big enough to crack rock and I'm lucky to be alive; so what's your point?"

"The point is that every rock that remained unbroken was clean and solid with no cracks in it while every broken stone was just like this one."

"Okay then" Gobber enquired "what's so special about this one then?"

"Look closely at the break; most of it is clean rock but for about four inches along the face you can see where it is dirty and burnt."

"So it had a crack in it before the explosion then. I still don't see what you're getting at."

"The only broken rocks had cracks in them already, so that means that the gas had seeped deep into the cracks; now watch this."

Thorfinn signaled to Ruff and Tuff to bring in their dragon and create a small cloud of green gas from the right head.

"See how the gas covers a few square feet, but when we light it up…"

He pointed to Tuffnut who coaxed his side of the dragon to spark at the gas which went up in flame with a loud Whoomph.

"Did you see that? The flame cloud was Way Way Way bigger than the gas cloud that caused it, or in other words, it expanded as it burned so that means the gas inside the cracks had nowhere to go when it got lit up and the pressure must have been so strong, that it just blew the rocks apart trying to escape."

"Hmm… a very interesting theory to say the least."

"Another test then Gobber?"

"Another test indeed lads."

Looking in his pile of savaged scrap, Gobber picked out a flat metal plate and placed it on top of two stone blocks. Barf and Belch were brought in to gas up and light up the area under the plate causing a short jet of flame to shoot out from both sides.

"Right then" Gobber noted "that went just as expected, so now for the fun part."

He placed two more blocks under the plate to close in the sides with only a small gap left for the dragon to breathe its gas into. As soon as this was done, the spark was released and the loud, dull thud of a small explosion echoed around Berk.

"Oh wow" was Starkard only comment.

"Where's the plate?" Gobber asked.

The four stone blocks had all been blown straight out from where they had sat and they now lay over ten feet away from the source of the blast, but it was true that the metal plate, was now nowhere to be seen.

"It's disappeared Gobber… unless…"

A look of fear and regret came over the faces of the three men as they considered what they had just done. They slowly looked up into the air.

"Oh no."

From high above them a red hot piece of flying metal came into view as it fell back to Berk.

"LOOKOUT EVERYONE" Thorfinn called out as he pointed to the sky.

All those in earshot looked up to see the man made projectile, as it streaked down from the sky and straight through the roof of the Great Hall with a mighty crash.

"WHAT ON BERK WAS THAT? Stoick shouted from across the village square.

"Err… don't worry Chief" Gobber smiled apologetically "we'll get that fixed before we start on the forge."

Fishlegs Ingerman crawled over the deck of the Sharktooth taking measurements and making notes after looking through hatches and down into the hold. Watching him with confused interest was Olaf, the former skipper of the longship Sea Mist; one of the many vessels that was destroyed by the Red Death at the very beginning of The Battle of Dragon Island. Like most of the Vikings on Berk, Olaf was now very fond of dragons, but he had been given command of the Sharktooth due to it being the only ship that could be salvaged after the battle, along with his strong aversion to heights. The Sharktooth's previous captain Freya, had been very eager to become a Dragon Rider.

"Can I ask what you're up to over there young Fishlegs?"

"It's sort of a secret project that Hiccup and I are working on, so I'd rather keep it to myself for now."

"If it involves my ship in any way, I do think I should know about it."

"Well okay… but only if you don't tell anyone" he grinned secretively "Have you ever built model ships?"

"It looks like we won't be doing much in the forge for the next few days, eh Toothless?" Hiccup commented as he picked through the remains of the workshop.

He was very fortunate that his little project shed was not part of the main blacksmith shop but had been added on to the western side of the building so, although it had been destroyed with the rest of the structure, most of its contents had survived and only needed to be dug out of the rubble and stored away till the new forge was built.

"Hey Hiccup!" called out Snotlout Jorgenson "Oh wow you've really done it this time. Gobber's gonna kill you when he sees what you've done to the workshop."

"Firstly Snotlout, he's already seen it…"

"And you're still alive?"

"And secondly, I didn't do this; Gobber had a little accident with some Zippleback gas."

"Well… okay… but you must admit that this is just the kind of thing you would do."

"Thank you Snotlout, for your confidence in my abilities; now what do you want?"

"Have you seen Astrid? I can't find her anywhere, and you're usually found hanging around with her lately."

"She took off into the woods a few hours ago to play her tracking game with Stormfly, but I will be seeing her later if you want me to pass on a message."

"Just tell her I want to see her; I'm gonna take her to the couples dance tonight" he smiled.

"Does she know about this yet?"

"No" he replied sarcastically "that's why I have to find her, so I can tell her."

"Well I was gonna ask her to go with me."

"You?" Snotlout laughed so hard he had to drop to one knee to keep from falling over "As if she go with you."

As he got up and staggered away while still laughing , Hiccup turned to speak to his dragon.

"Is he the only one who doesn't know Bud?"

"Arrooommph" was all Toothless could come up with as he sniffed in the rubble.

Fishlegs looked at the wreaked building as he approached with the same amount of surprise as Snotlout, but with far less joy in his eyes.

"I heard the explosion but… wow! I did not expect this."

"Yeah, pretty bad huh?" Hiccup replied.

"Does this mean we'll have to totally start again?"

"Fortunately no. There is a lot of damage, but almost everything in my workshop is salvageable. So we're only going to be set back a little until the forge is rebuilt and besides that, my Dad won't want to hear about anything new till everything is back to normal."

"HA! What's normal in Berk these days?"

"It's a new kind of normal I suppose, but did you get those measurements from the Sharktooth?"

"I did indeed and I also found out that Fjori and Mulch are the best living longship designers and model builders on Berk; so we should definitely have a chat with them in the next few days."

"Great work Fishlegs. Well I'm off to the other side of the island to go over these figures and look for a good construction site."

"And to meet up with Astrid perchance?"

"If I'm lucky; Berk is a big island though."

Fishlegs handed over the notes he had taken to Hiccup, who placed them safely in his satchel with his notebook and some other supplies. The two friends and conspirators bid each other fair well, as Toothless and his rider went off in search of the most suitable deep water and rough weather protected bay on the island.

The snow still clung to the peaks of Berk as well as covering the higher fields, but as the end of spring approached the island, most of the lowlands along the entire coast, were bathed in green on this rare and almost sunny day. Hiccup and Toothless completed their slow trip around edge of Berk and then returned to land near a bay that Hiccup felt had the most to offer him and Fishlegs with their semi secret plan.

"Better hide yourself Bud; you never know when or from where they may appear."

Toothless crawled into some shrubs and curled up for a short nap. He had learnt long ago that when Hiccup started going through his notebook with a look of concentration and wonder on his face, life was going to get very boring from a dragon's perspective for the next hour or twelve.


	2. Chapter 2

2 Hide and Stealth

On the island of Berk, there could be no doubt in anyone's mind that Hiccup and Astrid were total opposites in almost every way. Most of these ways were quite obvious, with him being a him and her not. As well was his hair being brown and messy, while hers was blonde and neat, but there were other differences that most people would not think of straight away, although they made perfect sense when pointed out.

If a person found themselves in the unfortunate position of being hunted by a fifteen year old Berkian Viking, then that person should say to anyone who would listen "I hope I am being hunted by Hiccup and not by Astrid" and although it is not the kind of thing anyone was likely to say, it is a sentence that contains much wisdom.

Hiccup son of Stoick is a fine person, a good and loyal friend, an expert dragon handler and many other good things besides, but Hiccup has one flaw when it comes to hunting; his leg squeaks. Astrid Hofferson on the other hand, is the owner of a dragon known as a Deadly Nadder, that has acute hearing and a cute smile, so young Astrid has been able to master the ability to move through the forests of Berk in complete silence, while her dragon does its best to track her down in a game of interspecies hide and seek.

"I've found Astrid."

The voice came from the larger of the two women, who lay on the crest of a high hill, looking down into the forest below. Both of these ladies went by the name of Freya, but it was very simple to tell them apart. The first wore an iron breastplate and stood almost six feet tall, while the other had doll under her left arm and was almost six years old. Each one peered through a short roughly made telescope that Hiccup had started producing en masse eight weeks ago.

"I can't see her...where?" The younger Freya inquired quietly.

"Look down in a line from the highest sea stack and you should spot her in the trees behind the beach."

"Yep; I got her now, but where's Stormfly?"

"She's about a hundred and fifty yards diagonally behind us and to the left, so it shouldn't take her long to pick up Astrids trail now."

A flash of sunlight glinted off the lens of the telescope and alerted Astrid to the fact that her games had become a spectator sport once again.

"She's seen us" the little one noted.

"And she's signalling us too; so come on Freya, tell me what she's saying."

"Err..." was all the little girl could come up with as Astrid sent up a short series of hand signals.

"Oh come on Freya, that was easy; haven't you been practicing?"

The young Viking considered the four signals that Astrid had sent, as her mother broke them down for her.

"Two fingers placed on the palm of her left hand in an upside down V; what was that?"

"Err... a man?"

"But she bent one finger... so..."

"Oh... one leg... its Hiccup."

"Good so the next was..."

"Her right elbow on her left palm with the arm straight up with fingers wiggling... Ah; a tree, it's a tree Mom."

"You're getting there, so put the last two together and what have you got?"

"Four fingers in her right hand followed by a hand drop to her left so... Yes; Hiccup is sitting behind the fourth tree to the south."

"Well done, but you'll have to be quicker in the future, because while you were working all that out, she's moved up three trees. Can you see where Hiccup is?"

"Of course not Mom, there's a tree in the way."

"Look carefully... and not just at the tree you can't see through."

"His shadow, I can see his shadow."

"Very good Freya, but if you were really paying attention, you may have noticed the red tail of Toothless in the under growth nearby."

Hiccup sat in the shade of a tall pine tree, twenty feet back from the beach on the northeast side of Berk, deep in concentration and writing in his journal, when a soft voice spoke quietly only a few inches away from his ear.

"Hey babe."

Any other Viking in his position would have jumped four feet in the air at the sudden intrusion, but not Hiccup. It was not because of his bravery or nerves of steel, but simply because he had become so accustomed to Astrid sneaking up on him, that he had begun to assume that she was always only a foot or three away from him at all times.

"Good afternoon Milady; I hope the game goes well for you today."

It can be very difficult to be romantic when the girl you are kissing, insists on speaking to you out of the side of her mouth throughout the entire process.

"I think you should know we are being watched from the hill top" Astrid informed him, her voice slightly muffled.

"Again; why do people follow us everywhere?"

"Well Hiccup, I am a very interesting person."

"Hmm yes; and modest too."

"No... not really."

"So where's Stormfly" he asked "still tracking you?"

From up on the hill, Freya and Freya watched the proceedings with great interest.

"I don't get it Mom; why isn't she trying to get away before Stormfly finds her?" Little Freya whispered.

"I don't know, but maybe she..."

"RRAAAACK"

The two ladies leapt up in fright, as the cry of the Deadly Nadder echoed in their ears. Hiccup could tell that something not very nice had just gone down, by the sinister smile on Astrids face.

"No babe; Stormfly found me fifteen minutes ago, but I just happened to have one of Big Freya's old boots in my pack and so..."

"So you gave her the scent and off she went on a little quest to track down your fan club. I do love you Astrid, but you can be quite evil when you want to be."

"Just make sure you stay on my good side" she laughed as she skipped away to the beach to call her dragon.

Thorfinn and Gobber stood on the scaffold covered platform that was attached to the cliff face on the southeast side of the village, while Starkard crawled out from inside the small Viking made cave that had been cut from the rock over the last several months. When the decision had been made to create an underground dragon stable in the side of the cliff, it was well known that it would be a long term project and many years would pass before it would even come close to being finished, but when done it would change Berk completely. The dragons would be able to nest inside just as they had on Dragon Island, giving more of them a reason to move to Berk and stay permanently; thus giving the Vikings a bigger collection of different dragon species to train.

"It's just like you said Thorfinn; there are cracks in the rock every five to ten feet" Starkard informed them.

"Brilliant" Gobber was chuffed "but we need to work out a way not to get killed in the process of lighting the Zippleback gas."

"Give it time Gobber and you'll come up with something" Thorfinn was confident.

"And I think I'll get Hiccup to look at the problem too; it amazing what funny little gadgets that boy can come up with. But for now lads, let's get some of this rock hoisted up so we can get my shop rebuilt."

Fishlegs watched as Mulch tended his garden, with its neat rows of vegetables and herbs that were now his pride and joy since his retirement as a warrior. He was still very handy with both sword and axe, but now that regular dragon attacks were no longer occurring in the village, he was now more concerned about slugs and snails, than Nadders and Nightmares. He did not keep a dragon as a pet, but Mulch was always happy to make use of someone else's Gronckle to pull his plough, as they were much less temperamental than a Yak, as well as being stronger and possessing greater stamina; this knowledge was exactly what Fishlegs needed to use as bargaining leverage.

"Good afternoon sir" he greeted the elderly yet very fit man.

"Hullo Fishlegs; I am glad to see you as I could use a bit of Gronckle help today with me late spring planting. Is Meatlug available for a spot of ploughin' at all?"

"Most certainly sir; and if I may, there is a ship design matter I would like to talk with you about when we're done."

"Ah... a little bit of barter is it? Happy to lad as I do love ships, but don't ask me to build it for ya, me back is way passed that sort of thing."

The site of the wrecked forge had been totally cleared away when Hiccup and Toothless returned to the village with more plans and ideas hidden away in Hiccups notebook. With the workshop presently out of commission, he went back to his home to find a temporary place to do his work.

"Ah; the lost boy returns at last" Stoick seemed a little miffed as the wayward pair entered the house.

"Hi Dad. Is there something wrong?"

"People keep asking me 'Where's Hiccup? I can't find Hiccup' and as usual Hiccup is nowhere to be found."

"Sorry Dad, but I'm not just hiding from everyone; Fishlegs and I are working on an idea that will..."

"That's all very well son and I'm sure you're working hard, but you have to make yourself more available to the village. Try to work on this idea in a place where people can find you, and not off in a cave somewhere hiding."

"Actually I was at the beach..."

"Whatever, but you need to spend more time here because when you're Chief..."

"Here we go again!"

"Yes indeed here we go again. The village needs direction; and that direction will someday come from you so you have to learn to listen to the people, weigh up all the needs and ideas, decide on an order of importance and then delegate what has to be done to those who can do it. I'm aware that it's my job now, but I have to know that you're ready to take over at any time, if I should be away or indisposed... not to mention the fact that I won't be here forever."

"I'm sorry Dad but sometimes I need to go and do things that aren't in the village and..."

"Then send Fishlegs; you just said he was working on this project with you... or send Astrid because you know you can trust the both of them and when you have to go yourself, tell people where you're going and when you'll back so we're not all left just wondering when you will magically appear again. Do you understand what I'm saying son?

"I think so Dad."

"Good; now do you want to tell me about this project yet?"

"Soon Dad, but we've still got a few things to work out first."

"Hiccup... son... I know I wasn't very good at listening in the past, but I am trying to be more open minded now; so don't panic about having to make your presentation perfect. If the idea has even a little bit of merit, we'll give it a proper hearing and give you time afterwards to rework any problems we may notice. I promise not to simply walk away without giving you a proper chance. I never want to do that again."

"Thanks; I'll do my best for you."

"You already have; now stow your gear and get out there."

As the two men and a dragon left the house once more, the first of the Hiccup seekers strode up in a huff.

"Hey Hiccup did you see Astrid yet?"

"Oh yes... I'm sorry Snotlout, I forgot to tell her you were looking for her."

"Hmmph, but I'll bet you didn't forget to ask her out yourself."

"Actually I did forget to ask her because she was busy at the time with Stormfly and..."

"It's not fair; she never lets poor Snotlout join in any dragon games" he stomped off angrily.

"What was all that about?" Stoick asked confused.

"Snotlout the red faced Viking wants to tell Astrid that he's taking her to the couples dance tonight."

"Doesn't he know that Astrid and you...?"

"I tried to tell him but just laughed at me."

"Oh well, I guess he'll find out eventually."

Among the many Vikings working at the former site of the blacksmiths shop was Fjori, who would normally spend much of his time working not with stone, but with large pieces of wood used for roof beams and ship construction. It was because of this skill and experience, that he was now approached by Mulch, his friend and former master.

"When you've put that block down Fjori, take a little break; I've got something very interesting to show you."

After he had rid himself of the load, Fjori sat down on a bench at the bottom of the main avenue of homes, where there was a charming view of the sunset.

"And what can I do for you Mulch?"

"I had a visit from Fishlegs and Meatlug today and after they had helped me with me ploughin', the boy tells me 'bout this plan him and Hiccup is workin' on. So after he leaves, I draws this up; wadda you think?"

Fjori considered the sketch for a short time before he spoke.

"Interesting, but I'm not sure what use this long box down the centre o the deck will be. It's more likely to get in the way and cause everyone to trip."

"You're not looking at the dimensions now, are you?"

He looked, he saw, he faulted.

"W… what are they thinking? We can't do this!"

"…because…" Mulch enquired.

"Well… because… we… can we?"

"That's for you and me to determine" Mulch smiled a knowing smile "if you're interested that is."

Fjori looked again. He thought, he pondered, he decided.

"I'm in."

While Toothless curled up for another nap in the early evening light, Hiccup looked over the remains of his workshop. It had been a fun and productive day for him, but the only thing that prevented it from being perfect, was the complete and total destruction that lay before him. He was sure the workshop would be made bigger and better when forge was rebuilt; it would just take time.

"What on Berk happened here?"

Hiccup had not realized Astrid didn't know about the villages latest Gobber related disaster.

"Proof that blacksmiths and Zipplebacks are a potent combination. Didn't you hear the explosion earlier on today?"

"Oh, so this is what that noise was. This is gonna put a stop to your big secret project you're keeping a secret... even from me, you secretive little secret keeper."

"Problem milady?"

"Why should there be a problem, just because you want to treat me like some kind of enemy spy?"

"I just want to get everything ready first; I haven't even told my Dad yet."

"Humph."

"Alright you big baby; I'm working on the idea…"

Before he could finish his sentence, Astrid was suddenly swept away as Snotlout spun her away from Hiccup and back again, ending in a deep dip.

"Good evening beautiful; guess who's going to the couples dance with me tonight?"

"Meatlug?" Astrid suggested "She's your type."

"No you lucky thing; you are" he gave her a smile that made her appetite disappear.

"Snotlout" Hiccup protested "I told you I was gonna ask her."

"And did you?"

"Well… not yet, we were talking about…"

"So I got in first and she's going with me" he stated while still holding her in a dip.

"Now wait a minute Snotlout…"

Astrid chose that moment to interrupt the exchange.

"Hang on boys; I think we need to be fair about this, but can you please let me up Snotlout."

Astrid placed her arms around each boys shoulder and pulled them in to a secretive huddle; Hiccup noticed that scheming look in her eye that meant she was up to something.

"Now then Snotlout; you did ask me first so I think I should go to the dance with you" she leant over and gave him a small kiss on the cheek that made Snotlout smirk triumphantly.

"But I do want to hear about this plan of yours Hiccup, so why don't you go home and get a good night's sleep and I'll meet you in the Great Hall in the morning for breakfast, okay?"

"If you say so Astrid" Hiccup replied.

"I do say so" she released her grip on the boy's shoulders "Now that all that is settled…"

Astrid grabbed Hiccup and swung him around into the same style of dip that Snotlout had done with her.

Life was becoming very confusing for poor Snotlout. The girl of his dreams had just agreed to go to the couples dance with him and that was good, but why was she now kissing Hiccup so passionately? Snotlout had always been sure it would be he and he alone who would win Astrid's heart, so why was she still kissing Hiccup? The evening was warm for this time of year and so it was the perfect time for dining, dancing and telling her of all his plans for their future, but when would she stop kissing Hiccup?

"Goodnight Babe; I'll see you in the morning" she waved as Hiccup and Toothless walked off toward home.

"Come on Snotlout, let's go dancing."

**Will Hiccup spend more time in the village as Stoick wishes? And will Astrid ever find out about the big secret?**

"AND WHEN WILL SHE STOP KISSING HICCUP?"

**Calm down Snotlout... the chapters over now.**


	3. Chapter 3

3 Rock and Royal

"I made you some eggs."

Astrid sat down opposite Hiccup at the long table, removed a cloth from the tray she had brought and handed him one of the plates.

"Yes… yes you did" was the only reply he could come up with as he pondered his breakfast.

"I got some fresh chives from Mulch's garden this morning, so I scrambled the eggs with some cheese. Pass the bread."

"You sound very cheerful this morning, so I assume the dance went well?"

"It went perfectly Hiccup; you should have been there."

"Well I think that Snotlout may not have…"

"We were sitting over there, on the other side of the hall and having dinner, right?"

"Okay…" Hiccup was finding it hard to get a word in.

"And every time someone sees us and says hello, they say…"

"Let me guess; 'Hullo Hiccup' perchance?"

"YES! And later on while we're dancing, people are passing by saying things like 'Oh where's Hiccup?' and 'I thought you'd be here with Hiccup'. By the end of the night Snotlout had developed quite the nervous twitch."

"It seems a bit cruel though."

"Hiccup my dear, I totally agree with you; but he has been telling people that he and I are betrothed for more than a year now. Butter please."

"Couldn't we have found a better way to…"

"Maybe… but I've lost count of the times I've told him… mmm, mushrooms; yummy… told him that I was not his lady, only to hear him reply 'But you soon will be'. The guy just can't take a hint. Now tell about this big secret plan of yours."

Gobber opened the door to the Great Hall, pleased to be finally out of the frosty cold morning air and nearer to a warm fire. Grabbing a metal plate from a nearby table, he removed a boar's leg from the spit roast and looked around for a certain face.

"Good morning Gobber, would you like some scrambled eggs?"

"Err… no thank you Astrid, but I do want to have a word or two with Hiccup if I may."

"Did you want me to…" she pointed to the door.

"No no Lass, stay please. It's only about a little project of mine and I believe Hiccup can help me with it."

"Everybody's got a project these days" she shrugged.

"Whadda ya need Gobber?" Hiccup enquired.

"It's like this lad; me and some of the boys have been looking closer at what made me forge blow up yesterday…"

"It was Zippleback gas."

"Yes yes I know; but more specifically, it was the gas in the little cracks and so we're workin' on a plan to use the gas on the dragon stable project and…"

"Are you kidding? You'll destroy Berk!"

"Well that is not part of the plan, but what we need to do is to find a way of storing smaller amounts of gas and igniting it without killing ourselves."

"And you want me to work out a way to do all that?"

"We already have a few ideas, but I'd like you to have a little think about it too; after all, the mind of a Hiccup should not be put to waste. Enjoy your eggs."

Astrid pondered what she had just heard, as Gobber left to join Starkard at the rear of the hall.

"If he is gonna start igniting Zippleback gas down there, we're going to need your plan to work, just to survive Gobbers plan."

"I hope it won't come to that."

"Don't tell me you've come up with an idea already?"

"One or two, but don't panic because we can't do anything till the shop is rebuilt."

"I'm beginning to think we're better off without it" Astrid concluded.

The sky over Berk was much thicker and grey than it had been the day before, so Hiccup and Toothless were pleased to be warming themselves in the bright, early afternoon sunlight high above the clouds. Stoick was pleased that his son had spent most of the day at work on the new and improved blacksmiths shop. This had meant anyone who wanted too, could easily find Hiccup without spending half the day searching. The Chief did not know it, but this was all part of Hiccups plan to get a bigger and better workshop for himself, while appearing to be making himself more available to the village as his father had requested.

"Try to work on your ideas in a place where people can find you" Hiccup reminded Stoick "that's what you said to me yesterday, so if we build a proper workshop here instead of just pushing me into Gobbers old storage room, then I'll have a place to work that everyone will know about and if I do have to leave for some reason, then I can post a note saying were I am and when I'll be back."

Stoick wasn't sure if Hiccup was truly giving in to him, but he could not deny that his son needed and deserved a proper place to work and so floor slabs were laid for a room more than twice the size of his former one and with a higher roof.

"Well at least I won't be hitting me head on a beam every time I come to see you here" Stoick justified Hiccups requests.

Toothless had begun to get very restless after lunch and being the only dragon on Berk that could not fly without a rider, Hiccup used the excuse to take the afternoon off and let the dragon stretch its wings. Stoick had suggested that Astrid should be given the task today but fortunately for Hiccup, she was somewhere in the forest teaching her stealth skills to Little Freya and her friends Tofa and Orr son of Odd.

"We'll never spot Astrid and the kids from this high up with these clouds Bud" the dragon growled as if to agree "Five more minutes of sun and then we better go lower down."

Stormfly moved quickly through the forest with her three young offspring close behind her. They were all getting stronger as they grew and were all very good flyers, but they were not yet big enough to carry their little pet Vikings; so she was glad to have this opportunity to teach them how to track down their pets as she did with hers. Stormflys pet Viking girl was always very good at hiding and the dragon was proud of how she was improving, but this day was different; the three little Vikings were very easy to track and so Stormfly was trying to encourage her children to do all the work, as they may not have it so good in the future.

Firebeard had just gone off in the wrong direction when he had become confused by the smell of a live rabbit, but fortunately Swiftwing and Sunshine had called him back before the true trail had become too cold for the little dragons.

"Remember to tread lightly and move swiftly" Astrid whispered to her charges "because you don't want to leave a trail of footprints and broken shrubs that even Tuffnut could follow. And when the dragons get closer, they'll be able to hear you before they can see you."

The three Viking children moved through the forest like a herd of stampeding Yaks totally unaware of the noise they made.

"Stormfly will never find us" Tofa declared to all.

"She will if you keep talking so much" commented Orr in an even louder voice.

Astrid grabbed the both of them by the neck and pulled them in close as she whispered.

"If you two don't shut your haddock holes right now I'm gonna…"

"RRAAAK"

She never had a chance as the three juvenile Nadders burst thought the undergrowth and leapt onto their pet Vikings, while Stormfly strode up to Astrid and nuzzled her face.

"Well done girl; an easy one for you today eh?"

Having spent the last twenty minutes sneaking through the low parts of the forest, Astrid climbed up a small rise and sat down to keep an eye on the children and their dragons playing and running around, while making even more noise than they had before. As she looked around the area, Astrid noticed a Monstrous Nightmare curled up on a large rock on the next hill and it was no ordinary Nightmare, it was Hookfang.

"Freya" Astrid called "you and the others play here for a minute while I go talk to Snotlout."

"Okay Astrid" the little girl replied.

"Stay Stormfly" she instructed her dragon as she dropped down the other side of the rise and made her way over to Hookfang.

Snotlout Jorgenson sat at the bottom of the hill and threw the occasional rock into a nearby stream.

"Hey Astrid" he greeted as she approached "what are you doing out here?"

"Trying and failing to teach three kids how to avoid being tracked by a dragon; and what brings your neck to these woods?"

"I was thinking about last night; I feel like an idiot. Why didn't Hiccup tell me about you and him? The little…"

"He says he tried and you laughed at him."

"Yeah… I did too" Snotlout sighed "I'm sorry Astrid; I was so sure that you liked me."

"I do like you, but you must admit that you never took a hint. I've lost track of the number of times I tried to get through to you…"

"Yeah yeah I get it now, but Hiccup? Really? I mean what do you see in him?"

"That's a bit cliché isn't it?"

"I was gonna accuse you of wanting to be the wife of the next chief but…"

"But you knew that wasn't true, right?"

"For a while it was easier to think that way…"

"Snotlout you have to realize that the village is full of good men, but if a woman doesn't fall in love with one of them, it doesn't mean that he's not a good man."

"I really don't want to hear that now."

"Yeah sorry; it even sounded patronizing to me… and I'm the one that said it."

"Sometimes I wish I'd just flown away with Hookfang on the first day I learnt to ride him."

"If you had flown off that day, I'd be dead now and maybe we all would be."

"What are you talking about? Hiccup and Toothless beat the Red Death and it would not have made any difference if I wasn't there."

"That's a load of Yak pies Snotlout; I remember when we arrived on Dragon Island and Hiccup ordered you and Fishlegs to distract the Red Death while he and I went to save Toothless. Meatlug went down and it was you alone who kept up the fight till Hiccup returned. So if you weren't there, the dragon would not have been distracted, Hiccup would not have saved Toothless, Stormfly and I would have been pulled into the monsters throat and eaten, and finally it would have taken out everyone on the island. We all needed to be there or we would have failed."

"Yeah maybe… but I still wish I was far far away now."

"I am not lying or trying to patronize you when I say, I'm glad you're not."

Astrid knew it was only a matter of time before the children and their dragons would appear again, so it was no surprise whatsoever when they ran past while indulging in a game of dragon tag, but she did not expect to hear the cry of a Night Fury flying by a few hundred yards away. Hookfang and Stormfly both replied to the call so it was not long before Hiccup and Toothless had landed and three fully grown dragons joined the chase through the woods.

"Hey guys" Hiccup greeted his friends "how did todays chase go with the kids in tow?"

"It's difficult to get through to them that being quiet, means not constantly telling me how quiet you are in a very loud voice" Astrid sighed.

"Aw they'll get the hang of it when they discover that the true competition is not with each other, but with the dragon."

"I'm surprised your Dad let you leave again after yesterday" Snotlout noted "so how did you manage it today?"

"A restless dragon with big sad eyes; it works every time."

"So then babe… did you get any further with your big plans?"

"Kind of; I managed to convince Dad and Gobber that when the forge is rebuilt, my workshop should be bigger, so that will help."

"I know you told me to keep it quiet, but I'd like to tell Snotlout about your plan if you don't mind" Astrid stated.

"Yeah sure thing, but don't tell the twins; they never know when to stop talking."

Before Astrid could begin, she was loudly interrupted by three screaming Vikings and six roaring dragons.

"Astrid Astrid Astrid" Freya yelled as she threw herself into Astrids arms.

"What what what?" was the most obvious reply.

"Now that Hiccups is here, you have three big dragons. Take us for a ride… pleeeeease."

"Well… wadda ya say guys?" Astrid smiled at her friends.

Children have many different methods for getting their own way, but when the request they made fit perfectly into Hiccups plan to avoid his father and Snotlouts desire to get away from Berk for the afternoon, none of these more drastic measures were needed and they were soon flying high over the sea to the west of Berk. Orr was riding with Snotlout, Tofa on Toothless with Hiccup while Freya took her normal place with Astrid while Swiftwing, Firebeard and Sunshine flew riderless alongside their pet Vikings.

Stormfly watched her children with pride as they looped and spun in the sky. They were almost seven months old and had grown much taller than their pet Vikings. They were only a foot shorter than Stormfly's own girl, but they would soon outgrow her too. The dragon was very pleased that the trio would never know the slavery their mother and her friends had suffered under the control of the Red Death, or the time of war with the Vikings before the intervention of the fish boy, who now rode the long black dragon. No; Swiftwing and her siblings had only ever known peace and friendship with the Vikings, and Stormfly hoped it would always be that way for them.

"How far are we going?" Snotlout asked when they were fifteen minutes out from Berk.

"There's a small island up ahead that's great for picnics and stuff" Hiccup informed them "almost a day by boat, but much quicker by dragon."

Toothless pulled in his wings halfway and went into a shallow dive which the others followed as they approached the island. It consisted of one high peak on the northern side of a forest, about three miles long by one mile at the widest point. The six dragons landed just above the beach on the southeast part of the island and it wasn't long before the children had run off with their dragons to explore this new and unknown island.

"How did you know about this place?" Snotlout enquired as he sought a comfortable place to sit.

"My Dad sent Odd, Thorfinn and Freya's mother Freya here a month after we returned from Dragon Island last year to trap some wild boar before the winter set in. We ate some of them for Snoggletog and some were released into Berks forest to shore up the numbers after the final dragon raid."

"So as Snotlout said, how did 'You' know about this place?" Astrid repeated; she never had found out, even though Hiccup had brought her to the Island when they first started dating.

"Dad has a lot of old maps that only show a few islands around Berk marked 'No dragons here' and so now that we are not searching for the dragons nest any more, I thought I'd put those maps to better use."

"When you say better use, I assume you mean places to hide from your Dad" Astrid accused.

"How could you think such a thing? Now that the people of Berk are flying around on dragons all the time, they need to know where to go if they run into trouble. Just imagine guys; you're out enjoying a pleasant flight on a sunny day when BAM a storm hits or your dragon gets injured, or both. You have to set down in a hurry so it's good to know that all of the islands in the area have an emergency cave or hut with fire wood, a keg of drinking water and a bed or two so you can hole up safe and sound till the storm is over or your dragon gets better, or someone comes to your rescue."

"Not a bad idea" Snotlout agreed "so this is the big plan I've been hearing about?"

"No; I just thought of it now. I really was just looking for a place to hide from my father."

"You son of a Troll" Snotlout laughed.

"It is a good idea though" Astrid pointed out "when we get back, we should tell…"

"ASTRID, HICCUP; THEY'VE GOT SWIFT!"

The three children burst out of the bushes to where the others sat talking, but with only two young Nadders in tow.

"Slow down Freya; now who's got Swiftwing?" Astrid held the panting girls shoulders.

"Men, about a dozen; over there on the other side of the point. I was chasing Swift when she runs into a snare trap and these two men tie her up and take her down to the next beach where all the others were. And they've still got her and they've got big swords" the exited little girl began to tear up.

"Did they see any of you?" Snotlout asked.

"No; Orr and Tofa weren't that close and I hid in a bush till they were gone."

"Twelve men with swords" Snotlout repeated "no match for three dragons and we've got surprise on our side."

"True" Hiccup pondered "but we've also got the children to take care of."

"We better go check it out" Astrid was adamant.

Hiccup looked at the children for a few seconds and made a decision.

"Come here kids and bring your dragons."

He sat them down in a tight group and signaled Toothless by crossing his arms over his chest and pointing to them all.

"Guard the kids Toothless" he ordered the dragon.

Astrid and Snotlout did the same leaving the children safely surrounded by the three large beasts and Hiccup was soon looking down to the beach on the southwest side of the island describing to the others what he could see through his small telescope.

"There are two men holding poles with flags on the end and the guy standing between them appears to be the one in charge as he's barking orders at the four guys nearby. There are two row boats on the shore with a man close to each one and a ship anchored in the bay. So nine all up on shore, with more on the ship and they all have big swords."

"Where's Swift?" Astrid asked.

"Take a look" he handed her the scope "you'll see her trussed up and muzzled near the boss guy."

"What do you want to do Hiccup; get the dragons?" Snotlout was ready for a fight.

"I don't want to start something with the kids close by, so Astrid… maybe you should get them off the island then Snotlout can make a diversion and I can sneak down and…"

"Hold on a minute oh ye with the rattling leg" Astrid interrupted "if anyone is going to sneak down there it will be me and you're the best with diversions so Snotlout should…"

"Hang on a minute" it was Snotlouts turn to protest "I am not running out on a fight like a coward and leaving you guys behind."

"Snotlout… those men have one of our dragons, so what do you think would happen if they got their hands on the children too?"

The conflict in Snotlout's eyes was obvious "I hate it when you're right; I'm taking Stormfly Astrid and I'll be back as soon as the kids are safe."

"Bring help" Astrid requested.

"And bring it in low" Hiccup added.

"Gotcha" Snotlout replied as he slid down the rise and ran back to the children.

"Astrid I want you to bring Toothless up here so he can see the whole beach and then get into position as close as you can. Hopefully I'll be ready to go by then."

"I'm on it." She replied as she took off after Snotlout and Hiccup began to make his way around to the northern side of the beach.

Snotlout already had the girls up on Stormfly and was lifting Orr onto Hookfang when Astrid arrived to the sounds of unrest"

"But I don't wanna leave without Swift" Freya protested.

"Hiccup and I will get her back and we need you to go back to Berk and get help" Astrid reassured the girl "so hold on tight and keep low. Are you ready Snotlout?"

"Yep all set."

"Stormfly; Home"

The big blue Nadder lifted off with her young passengers gripping firmly to the saddle and two of her offspring by her side. The boy riding on the Nightmare called her name and urged her to hurry as they turned toward Berk and began to gain height. Although she did not know why the others had stayed behind, Stormfly knew that her pet girl would take good care of her third child, just as she would protect the girls on her back with her life; and so she flew fast and steady, determined to deliver them all safely home.

Back on the island, Astrid led Toothless back to the same place she had left just two minutes before.

"Sit Toothless and stay" she ordered the black dragon as she silently crept away down to the edge of the beach and hid herself in a hollow of sand to await Hiccups distraction. Toothless watched her go and sniffed the air to get a sense of Hiccups location and distance.

Astrid could see the men clearly from her vantage point, but could only hear the occasional word they spoke. The man in charge was storming about in a rage, but she could not tell why he was so angry. Astrid was shocked though, as the man slapped one of the others in his party and then strode over to Swiftwing and kicked her hard.

"If Stormfly had seen you do that…" she whispered to herself, now determined to take some kind of revenge on behalf of Swiftwing and her mother.

As if he had seen it two, Hiccup chose that moment to set off a landslide on the cliff to the north of the beach, and all the men turned to watch. He followed it up with a very good impression of the cry of a wounded Nightmare. His ploy seemed to have the desired effect, when all the men drew their swords as they gazed toward the distant commotion. Quickly and quietly Astrid darted straight out to the middle of the beach so that she was squarely behind the strange men and flattened herself behind another rise of sand that was no higher than her head, aware that she would be seen if any were to turn around.

Hiccup let out another cry twenty yards east of the last to make the men think that what had made the noise was now moving away. The result was instantaneous as the leader with the mean boot began to shout at his men who then ran off toward the noise.

"Nice one Babe" she whispered and began to run on all fours till she reached the bound up dragon.

"It's okay girl; I'm here for you."

Without thinking about what she was doing, Astrid pulled off the muzzle first and Swiftwing let out a loud cry.

"IT'S A TRICK" the mean man shouted. "GET BACK HERE; NOW!"

The men all turned to run back and she knew that her time was short. So moving as fast as she could, Astrid drew her knife and cut the ropes that bound the dragon's wings and legs. She then stood and threw the young Nadder into the air.

"HOME SWIFTWING, HOME" she cried as the dragon spread its wings and began to gain speed.

Astrid did not see the rest of Swifts attempted escape as she felt a thump on the back of her head, before she fell hard onto the sand. Her blackout lasted for less than a minute but when she regained consciousness, Astrid found herself lying on her back with the tip of a sharp sword resting several inches below her chin.

"HOW DARE YOU" the furious red faced man screamed at her menacingly "WHAT RIGHT DO YOU HAVE TO DENY ME MY PRIZE?"

"And what right have you to take that prize and to kick it too"

"I have every right; for I am Prince Nainn and I have claimed this island in the name of my father King Rekkur of Bolthorn"

"Wow" a frail voice came from behind them "that's gonna come as a big surprise to Stoick the Vast: High Chief of all the islands within these seas."

Snotlout leapt from Hookfang as soon as they had landed and quickly grabbed Orr as he shouted an order to the dragon.

"Hookfang; Showoff – Showoff now!"

The dragon stood to its full height, raised its wings and set itself ablaze as it let out a mighty roar that echoed around the village. The gesture had the full desired effect as the entire village came to find out what the commotion was all about and Chief Stoick pushed his way through the gathering crowd.

"I assume you wanted to get my attention lad."

"There is nobody living on any of these isles so far north, so how can they have a High Chief boy?"

"Nobody living here? I know I've only got one leg but…"

"One and a half" Astrid interrupted.

"SHUT UP GIRL" Nainns fury flared.

"Oh you should not have said that" Hiccup warned "you wouldn't like her when she's angry."

"He's right you know" Astrid nodded "and he's seen it."

"She's a good kisser though."

"Yes I am" Astrid agreed.

"OH I'M SURE, AND MODEST TOO!"

"No… not really" she disagreed.

"WILL YOU BOTH JUST SHUT UP?"

"Sorry."

"So where is this Stoick the Vast then?" Nainn asked accusingly "We've not seen a sign of any town or castle for more than six weeks now."

"Oh… he's around somewhere with his tribe of mighty warriors, and he doesn't take to kindly to men in ships claiming his islands and trapping his animals."

"Well if he is not here, then there is nothing he can do to stop us now is there? And I do believe you're making it all up anyway just to trick me into not killing you."

"Oh… you're threatening me? Well I suggest that you and your men get back in your little boats while you still have them, and leave now."

"HA! I'll leave alright, but first I'm going to kill you and then I'm taking the girl with me."

"What girl?"

"What do you mean 'what girl'? This gir…"

Nainn looked back and saw that the tip of his sword was no longer resting on Astrid's chest, but on a small piece of driftwood propped up on a pile of sand.

"What the…" he waved his sword in signal to his men "GET HIM; GET THE LITTLE SWINE."

Hiccup made a quick hand gesture by putting the back of his left fist up to his lips, splaying his fingers and finally pointing to the ground between himself and the advancing swordsmen. A burst of blue plasma streaked down from the forest and exploded in the sand. The men stopped dead in their tracks and the two nearest the blast were thrown onto their backs.

"Last chance while you've still got two boats" came Hiccups second warning.

"GET UP YOU IDIOTS AND RUN HIM THROUGH."

Hiccup repeated his signal and pointed to the boats and before all the men were back on their feet, another blue flame flashed past and turned one of the boats into kindling and matchsticks.

**Will Snotlout ever get rid of his nervous twitch? Will Hiccup get his new workshop before Gobber blows up the village? And did Astrid really just magically turn into a piece of driftwood?**

**Bet you didn't see that coming ;-)**


	4. Chapter 4

4 What do you do with a nervous sailor?

A spray of salt water rose up behind Snotlout Jorgenson and his dragon Hookfang as they lead the Weyr of nine dragons flying in toward the eastern side of the island, just a few feet above the surface of the sea. He was relieved to see the waving hand of his friend Hiccup standing on the beach with a small Nadder by his side but at the same time, he was concerned that he could not see Astrid anywhere nearby. Three Monstrous Nightmares were the first to touch down on the sand followed closely behind by an even group of Nadders, Zipplebacks and Gronckles completing the first wave of the reinforcements from Berk.

"Hiccup where's Astrid," Stoick dropped from his dragon "is she alright?"

"She's find Dad; you'll find her on the western beach guarding the prisoners. When I left her she was singing them a song about three lost Yaks or... something."

"Oh I know that song" Gobber declared as Pigg flopped down on the sand "it's a beauty. I think I'll go join her" and he hobbled off to find Astrid and her captive audience.

"Prisoners? How did you take a group of armed men prisoner?"

"We didn't; with a little bit of help from Toothless, I managed to convince most of them to leave but their boat wasn't big enough. So the head guy just leaves two of his men behind and they seemed pretty keen to surrender... until Astrid decided to start singing... but it was too late by then."

"I don't understand; how did they get here if their boat was too small for them?"

"They have a ship in the bay and they came ashore in two boats, but one of them was destroyed."

"Destroyed?" his father asked suspiciously.

"When I asked them to leave... well... they needed convincing."

"I understand entirely. So how's little Swiftwing then, did they hurt her?"

"The leader of the men who goes by the name of Nainn son of Rekkur, kicked her when she was tied up on the ground and when Astrid released her, he threw a knife that caught her here in the muscle behind the right wing about halfway to the spine" Hiccup showed his father the small wound.

"It's lucky a dragon's skin is so tough" Stoick pointed out "it sounds like this Nainn is a psycho."

"That would be a fair assessment given the current evidence."

"Olvor; bring your bag and have a look at this."

The closest person that the Vikings have to a surgeon, dropped down from Stormflys back and approached the dragon while attempting to put it at ease.

"Hullo Swift; look at what the nasty man did to you?" Olvor comforted.

"What do you think?" Stoick was genuinely concerned.

"Shallow wound, clean cut, no problem, but I'm glad she didn't have to fly back to Berk. Hold her tight while I clean her up and bind her right wing; it will be best if she doesn't move it for at least two days."

Olvor reached in to her 'Doctoring Bag' and pulled out a long roll of cloth, a wool pad and a small flask of her famous mix of water and grain alcohol pain juice.

"Right then, hold her tight; she isn't gonna like this."

Stoick knelt down in front of the dragon and put his huge arms around its neck.

"Stand well back everyone because she'll probably go a little nuts" he warned as he knew the pain that the mixture would cause first hand "and all of you; hold on to Stormfly."

Hiccup went to Swiftwings mother and coaxed her to sit as six Vikings surrounded her and held on tight.

"Ready Stoick?" Olvor checked.

"Just make sure you save some of that stuff for me" the Chief replied.

Working as quickly as she could, Olvor moistened the wool pad and cleaned the dragons cut. The small Nadder cried out as the sharp pain registered and she bit hard into Stoicks shoulder. The Chief grit his teeth through the pain, and several Vikings went flying as Stormfly jumped up at her babies cry.

"Hold her boys while I get this bandage wrapped" Olvor called as the desperate mother tried to move forward.

Swiftwing had stopped screaming now that the wound was clean, but she still struggled in fear as the wrapping went on.

"Okay lads you can let Mummy go now."

Stoick released his grip as Stormfly and Swiftwing came together at last. The bigger dragon sniffed at her child's wing and recognised the strong smell. It was the same smell as the one that fish boy had acquired when he had lost his leg last year, and he had not died so the mother knew that Swiftwing would probably be okay as well.

"Righty ho then Stoick" Olvor grinned an evil grin "let's have a look at that shoulder."

The first time that the Chief of Berk had encountered Olvors cleaning fluid, he had yelled loud enough to shake the village, but this time he was ready. It still hurt though.

"Nnnnnngh" was the quietest he could manage.

Swiftwing left her doting mother and went to Stoick whimpering slightly.

"It's alright girl" he patted the Nadder softly "I know you didn't mean it."

He went to Stormfly to acknowledge her concern and then turned to the others.

"Olvor take Stormfly and Swift back to Berk, Spitelout and Thorfinn can escort you, Hiccup can take me to these prisoners and the rest of you wait here with the dragons."

A general chorus of 'Right Chief' went up as Stoick followed his son up off the eastern beach. The two stopped at the crest where Toothless lay in hiding overseeing the western beach below, as Hiccup gave his father a quick run through of what had transpired in the last hour.

"So while this so called Prince Nainn is talking to you, Astrid just sneaks off unnoticed?"

"Yep; it was hard not to start laughing as she grabbed the driftwood and held it against the tip of his sword while scooping up the sand behind it."

"So what happened then?"

"He ordered his men to kill me so, I sent Toothless a signal and he blew up the beach in front of them. I told them to leave again but Nainn ordered them to keep going; so I blew up one of the boats... well... Toothless did."

"And then they ran I suppose."

"As fast as they could but the one boat wasn't big enough, so Nainn orders those two to get out, in other words, he pushed them out and then rowed back out to his ship. He told the men he left behind to go back and kill me, but they were afraid they were gonna get their heads blown off. So they put their swords down, their arms up and 'Odds your uncle; we've got two prisoners."

"And the ship hasn't moved since then?"

"Take a look" Hiccup handed over his telescope "anchor still in the water and no effort to raise sail. I think he's waiting for darkness."

Hmmm... maybe... well, stay here while I go have a chat with these prisoners then."

Stoick the Vast had not been in the position to hold men captive very often, so it could be said that his knowledge of the proper prisoner etiquette was limited to say the least, but he was sure that those charged with guard duty should not be dancing and singing shanties while the afore mentioned prisoners clapped along keeping time.

"I hope you are all enjoying yourselves" Stoick boomed as he strode across the sand.

"Oh we're having a wonderful time" replied the sarcastically challenged Gobber the Belch.

Astrid and the two men were much quicker to notice the Chiefs displeasure and ceased their activities abruptly. The captives considered the imposing figure as he approached and began to wonder if this large man with the larger beard, dry blood on his shoulder and a voice that could split mountains, could be the High Chief the boy with the magic blue flame had hinted about.

"You two" he pointed to the custodial dancers "go; now."

Astrid was wise enough to run but Gobber, not so much.

"I don't know what happened to your shoulder, but it appears to have made you rather tetchy."

"GOBBER!"

"Alright Mr. Grumpy pants, I'm going" he hobbled away after Astrid.

Stoick began to pace menacingly around the men.

"SIT DOWN" the two men sat "now... what do they call you?"

"Err... Prince Nainn calls me 'You there' sir" the first informed him.

"Yes sir and me too sir" agreed the second.

"We'll try again then; what are your names?"

"Oh...I'm Hak and this is Gauk sir, sorry sir."

"So then Hak and Gauk, do you know who I am?"

"Well I... I suppose you're Stoick the Vast" Hak guessed well.

"High Chief of the islands within these seas" Gauk added not wanting his companion to become their captor's favourite.

"Very good boys; and do you know how angry I am with you at this moment?"

"Err... very sir? Gauk was almost crying.

"Indeed yes. You come to one of my islands, capture and wound a little girls pet..."

"oh no" Hak began to think his life was surely forfeit.

"...put a blade to my future daughter..."

Gauk began to cry.

"... and try to dissect my only son."

"WE'RE SO SORRY SIR" Gauk cried out loud.

"Yes sir" Hak agreed "we had to do what Prince Nainn ordered, or he would have killed us."  
_

On Stoicks orders Hiccup and Snotlout took the two men northward off the beach so they could not see the large dragons. He did not feel inclined to let Astrid and Gobber guard them any more because he did not want them getting too comfortable; just in case he needed to scare more information out of them later.

"So what little morsels did you manage to glean from our honoured guests then?" Gobber enquired.

Everybody knew Gobber could be quite flippant during times of great stress, but sometimes Stoick wished he would be more serious.

"Sometimes I wish you would be more serious Gobber. It sounds like this Nainn was more than capable and willing, to kill Hiccup and Astrid for no other reason than his dislike for them."

"He was dangerous Chief" Astrid agreed "but we did our best to keep out of his way and we did have Toothless for backup when our plans went awry."

Stoick placed his huge hand on the black dragons head and smiled gratefully at the trusted creature sitting beside him in the forest. Around the Chief sat Gobber and Odd to his left, with Astrid and Ivar on the opposite side with all their dragons close by (some a little too close).

"Phew! I don't think the rocks on this island agree with Pigg's tummy Gobber" Ivar noted what everyone was thinking "I think I'll go join Hoark on ship watching duty."

"One more like that Gobber and you're taking Pigg back to Berk" Stoick threatened "but getting on to our guests, they appear to have very little love or loyalty to their leader and it seems, he has even less for them."

"Yes Chief" Astrid agreed "all the men on the beach were always looking to him for guidance as to what they should do and seemed unwilling to act on their own out of fear and uncertainty."

"We can definitely use that to our advantage if it comes down to a fight" Odd informed them "all we would have to do is take out Nainn and the others would be lost for a short time."

"We can't count on that" Stoick corrected "Gauk tells me there is a crew of fourteen left plus a ship's captain to give orders and Nainn has twenty personal guards on top. So although we do outnumber them, if they should head towards Berk, I don't want to be forced to send fifty Vikings out to follow them around for as long as they are in our waters."

"You may not have to Chief" Astrid smiled "Hiccup has an idea that we may be able use to our advantage."

**Is the use of custodial dancers permitted under the international convention of prisoners rights, and just what has Pigg been eating? Maybe we'll never know. **


	5. Chapter 5

5 Put Him In A Tent

Although life was not perfect for Gauk and Hak at the moment, they were both a little surprised that not only were they both alive, but they were still in one piece and being fed. They sat on one of the fallen logs in a small forest clearing guarded by two very young men armed only with knives, but the first one had the ability to make fire appear as well as having a very mean father, and the other was quite big for his age.

"I know dry bread and yak jerky is not the best meal, but if you're still with us tonight, we'll see about getting you something better."

Snotlout could have chosen his words with greater care as the two captives now suspected they would be executed at sunset.

"Oh thank you young sir" Hak grovelled "we promise to be very helpful if you let us stay with all of you tonight."

Snotlout and Hiccup looked at each other with surprise.

"Don't you want to go back to your ship?" Hiccup enquired.

"Back to our ship?" Gauk looked confused "Aren't you going to kill us?"

"Do you want us to kill you?" the boys were really confused now.

"Oh no no no" they tried to say in unison.

"We just assumed after what your Chief said..." Hak faltered.

"He made it quite clear to us how serious our crimes were" Gauk continued "like hurting a pet lizard, trying to kill his son..."

"Not to mention threatening his future daughter" Hak added.

"HIS FUTURE DAUGHTER?" Snotlout was more than a little distraught "Did everyone know but ME?"

He walked over to a nearby tree and hit his head hard against it – fortunately he still had his helmet on.

"Did I say something wrong?" Hak wondered.

"Yes" stated Hiccup "yes you did."

"I hope you don't take this the wrong way sir, but I'm finding it hard to understand your father."

"In what way Hak?" Hiccup asked.

"Well... we could see he was angry... and we knew why... but he didn't lay a finger on us."

"And for that we are grateful, but we don't know why" Gauk added.

"Oh he would have laid more than just a finger on you if he had deemed it necessary; he would have lain on a fist with a Battleaxe in it, but although he will rarely give someone a second chance, you two were still on your first, so it was wise of you not to push him too far."

"But he seems like such a hard man sir; and mean so why wouldn't he...?"

"What... cut your head off without a second thought?" Hiccup smiled.

"Frankly... yes sir" Hak stated.

"You saw the blood on his shoulder didn't you?"

"Yes sir" they both stated.

"But what you don't know is how it got there. He didn't get that injury fighting someone, he got it from that little dra... err... lizard that Nainn injured, because someone had too hold it down while its wound was attended to and although there were many others around him, he wouldn't tell someone else to do what he could do himself. The creature bit him of course for you know how dangerous a wounded animal is. Now... what would Nainn have done?"

The two men looked at each other and nodded in agreement.

"Truth be told sir" Gauk admitted "we would prefer not to go back to the ship."

The young Dragon Riders looked at each other as they wondered what on Earth was really going on, till they were pulled back into reality by a voice calling out in the distance.

"HICCUP, SNOTLOUT!"

"Sounds like Ivar" Snotlout noted with his dented helmet sitting slightly askew on his head.

"Do you wanna go find him? I'm sure I'll be okay with these two; won't I boys?"

"Oh yes sir and you won't have to call down your magic fire again" Hak was adamant.

"Magic fire?" Snotlout wondered.

"Toothless."

"Ah yes... of course" and the tall boy wandered off to find Ivar.

"Err... excuse me sir" Hak sought clarification "if you please, I don't want to be toothless sir."

"Well then" Hiccup replied "sit still and eat your jerky."  
_

Stoick pondered the ship out in the bay off the south western shore.

"The more I think about it Gobber the more I think that Hiccup is right and Nainn is waiting for night to fall."

"I'm always right Dad" Hiccup approached from the hill "haven't you worked that out yet?"

"Hmmm... and modest too" Gobber commented sarcastically.

"No... not really."

"I glad to see you got my message son. Astrid was telling me of your plan son to have emergency supply shelters on all the islands within a day's dragon ride from Berk and she thinks it may be a way to keep a close eye on our friend over there without clearing out the village entirely."

"What sinister plot are you hatching under that pointy helmet of yours Dad?"

Stoick gave a cheeky grin as he laid out his plan.

"I've sent word back to Berk for Olaf to get the Sharktooth ready to sail with a full load of tools and supplies so when Nainn finally sets sail we will be able to follow him at a distance thanks to our over-the-horizon dragon ship trackers and whenever he gets an hour or so away from an island, we can send out a flying crew to set up a post on the island so making him believe we have people everywhere."

"Good plan Dad, but what if he doesn't leave?"

"I think he will when his men return and tell him what he's up against."

"Ah... yeah... about that Dad... they err... don't want to go back."

"That's strange, well we will just have to see what he does tonight and then maybe we will be able to convince him to go home."

"I would be interested to see what his home is like Dad."

"You and me both Hiccup, but the new question is what do we do with the... are they still prisoners?"

"Well we could let them stay here for now if we keep them up in the forest; then we can come and go from the south eastern beach without them seeing the dragons."

"What about wild dragons; is there a risk they'll see some of those?"

"We haven't come across any yet; there are probably some on the mountain peak but that's miles away."

A small number of reinforcements had arrived from Berk so Stoick sent a few up to the forest to make a camp and to keep an eye on the prisoners while two more went straight back to Berk to fetch back some tents. It was time to prepare.

**If you would like your very own copy of Stoicks sinister plot, send a Bank Check or Postal Order for the sum of fifteen Yak pelts to 'Gobbers Rarities and Collectables' C/- the Berk Central Post Office and you will also receive a free booklet entitled 'Magic Fire - Fool your friends for fun and profit.' (Offer not available after the December 4th 1263)**


	6. Chapter 6

6 Who Goes There?

The variety of dragons on Berk seemed to be growing with regularity as the months went by. When the Vikings had returned from Dragon Island after the defeat of the Red Death the previous year, they had brought with them a large group of Nightmares, Zippleback, Nadders and Gronckles and they were mainly full grown beasts. But the months following the Snoggletog holiday, had brought a fresh batch of dragon offspring running about Berk and leaning to fly.

Soon after, when the ice of winter began to melt away, a small Weyr of Changewings, two Timberjacks and a large number of Terrible Terrors had taken up residence on the island, but only the Terrors spent any time in the village; mostly with Gothi. Stoick the Vast though, could not decide what breed of dragon would be best suited for him as Chief because he often found that different tasks required a dragon with different dragonish skills.

Fortunately for the Chief, many of the dragons had no specific owner and would be trained and ridden by several different Vikings while being stabled in the old arena. Most of the thick iron doors to the cells had been replaced or simply cut down in size to provide the dragons that dwell there with comfortable pens that they could come and go from as they pleased. While the dragons that were pets, or believed that they had pet Vikings, would spend much of their time in or near the home of those so close to them. Even the Jorgenson family had added on a special stable room where Hookfang could reside without destroying all the furnishings.

Skywolf the Nightmare touched down a few yards away from the open gate of the arena allowing Stoick to drop to his feet.

"Good boy" the Chief petted the purring beast "now you go and have a feed and a rest; you've done well today."

With all that was happening on the nearby island, Stoick had the feeling that a Monstrous Nightmare was going to be his dragon of choice for at least the next few days and he felt pleased to know that such a fine animal as Skywolf was available to him, as he did not like to borrow Big Freya's dragon too often. To be very sure it was a magnificent beast and very highly trained, but Stoick felt a little self conscious riding around on a dragon named Cuddles. He did not tell anyone that he felt this way, because he knew that he shouldn't let it bother him; but it did, just a lot.

Spitelout and Thorfinn brought their Chief the latest news as he strode back into the village.

"The Sharktooth set sail almost an hour ago with four Gronckles assisting so she should be off the coast of the island by sunset" Spitelout informed Stoick.

"Call a meeting at the Great Hall so I can run through the situation with everyone" the Chief ordered "and then we'd better get back over there."

"Right Chief; I'll see you there soon" Spitelout rushed off.

The next hour was nothing but rush, rush and more rush as Stoick met up with his warriors and went over the whole situation with them in fine detail. They had no idea precisely what Nainn would do during the coming night and so they made plan after plan in the hope that they would have all probable eventualities covered. Meanwhile back on the island, other plans were becoming reality.

"Alrighty then gentlemen" Gobber addressed his captives "this lovely tent is your new prison for all intents – no pun intended or should I say intented?"

Hak and Gauk stared blankly at Berks worst comedian.

"I've gotta come up with some new material. Ah... Material... tent... get it? Oh why do I bother?"

"Excuse me sir but why are we being held prisoner in a tent?" Hak enquired.

"Weeell maybe prison is too strong a word because we just want to make sure you're safe."

"Safe from what sir?" Gauk asked.

"Oh... me... and Stoick... anyone else with an axe... you get the idea."

"Indeed we do sir" Gauk replied sitting down on the ground "nice safe tent sir."

"Clever lads" Gobber smiled "and if you're good, I've got a nice little ditty about Troll with a big nose we can sing after dinner."

"Err... wonderful sir."

Gobber left the tent and tied the flap shut "Okay lads bring him in... quietly."

A Monstrous Nightmare is many things, but quiet is not one of them. So when the huge lumbering dragon was led into the campsite to heat up a pile of rocks in the centre, Hak and Gauk just sat in their tent wide eyed and shivering with fear, unable to imagine what stood outside.

Night had fallen on the small island, when three small boats slipped into the water under cover of darkness. After rowing silently to the island, the boats deposited twenty four men on the shore while twelve more remained back on the ship.

"I'm glad I didn't have to tend one of der row boats for Nainn when him and his men went to th' island tonight" shivered Farg Ponomon one of the salty sea dogs standing guard on the deck in the pale moon light.

"Why is that then" his companion Toki asked "are you having one of your weird future visions again?"

"No but two men didn't come back the last time the Prince went ashore and you didn't see the fireballs that blew up one of the boats... and my visions are not weird."

"Prince Nainn said Hak and Gauk were still on the island, so we may see them again soon; and weird doesn't begin to describe some of your visions."

"I fink Nainn..."

"PRINCE Nainn" Toki insisted.

"Woteva, but I fink he only said that so's we won't be too scared to go back... and what's so bad about my visions."

"It's not always the visions Farg; it's what you do with them. Like naming your oldest boy Coal Porta, I mean who wants to grow up with a name like Coal? I almost expected you to name you last daughter granite or something but how did you come up with Erthacitt?"

"Well I fink you should go and guard the stern of the ship while I guard the bow" and he walked off in a huff while softly humming the tune 'Night and Day' to himself.

"Wait Farg... what's that noise?"

"I'm not sure... but it sounds like a cross between a large bat and a small outboard motor."

"What on earth is an outboard...?"

An unpleasant and painful sleep came over the poor sailors as two large Vikings dropped down from the sky and onto their heads, before eight large Gronckles set down on the deck with a loud thump. At the sound of the invasion the men below deck were quickly out of their bunks, on their feet and taking up their swords to repel the boarders, but as they threw open the hatches, the first sailor to poke his head out was lifted screaming into the night. Sounds of a small scuffle were followed by a dull thump and then all was quiet. The frightened men who remained below deck all held their breath in terror and pulled back from the open hatches.

"Well come on you lot" Gobber was getting impatient "I haven't got all night."

"Right men" Nainn addressed his personal guards "I want ten of you in front of me, six behind and the other four around me. I can see the glow of a camp fire about a mile up the hill so keep quiet and we'll take them by surprise."

"We?" Corporal You There commented to Sergeant Hey You "Isn't always us and not him who has to do the surprising?"

"You there" Nainn spun around to face the poor man "did you say something?"

"Just looking forward to taking out that enemy camp sir... err... Prince Sir... sir."

"Keep your mind on the job; just because you're a Corporal doesn't mean you can't get a kick in the..."

"Understood sir" the man saluted.

"Right" Nainn eyed the man suspiciously "move out."

Gobber the Belch poured over the chart that lay spread out before him on the table, as far too many Vikings tried to look over his shoulder.

"What do you lot think you're all doin'? Is there anyone still watching the prisoners?" but he already knew the answer.

"We've got 'em good and tied up Gobber" Mulch said in defence "and we've got the ships captain here as a hostage too."

"And what makes you think" Gobber sighed "that they care what happens to him... hmmmm?"

"I'll have you know" the Captain pointed out "that all the men on this ship are one hundred percent loyal and ready to die for their Prince, ship and Captain."

"Yes... well... I've met some of these one hundred percent loyal men and...err..."

"And what sir?"

"And I think you'd best be sleepin' with a dagger under your pillow" Gobber informed the surprised Captain.

Odd and Mulch stood opposite Gobber and puzzled over the upside down map unable to recognise anything on it.

"So where are we now?" Mulch asked the distraught Captain.

"You're in the hold of my ship trying to understand a standard navigational chart you illiterate barbarian."

"Oh Mulch" Gobber sighed "what did you do that for?"

"He was being cheeky; I only tap him a little bit."

"With a stone hammer you Gronckle brained twit; now he's out for the count, so how are we going to work out this map now?"

"We could take it with us" Odd suggested.

"We could" Gobber replied "but Stoick wants them to go back exactly the same way they came and they can't do that without their map now, can they?"

"I suppose not" Odd looked dejected.

"We could make a copy" Mulch lit up with glee.

"So what do we copy it on to?" Gobber fumed "Have you got a tanned yak skin in your pocket or a large piece of tree bark perchance?"

"No need to be so testy" Mulch pouted.

The Vikings pondered their problem for a few minutes before an idea struck Odd.

"We could use the table" he grinned.

Gobber's face froze for several seconds while he tried to come up with a reason to throw this suggestion back in Odd's face, but he could not think of one.

"That's bloody brilliant" he grinned as he swept everything onto the floor.

**Will Stoick ever feel truly comfortable on a dragon named Cuddles? Does a tent really provide enough protection against a Viking with a battleaxe and does a cross between a bat and an outboard motor really give a true representation of the sound of hovering Gronckles? (Seriously; do questions like these keep you up at night?)**


	7. Chapter 7

7 Surprise Encounter

After half an hour of moving silently through the forest, Nainn and his men finally caught their first glimpse of the Viking camp. The order was given for two scouts to make their way to the edge of the tree line and bring back information about who they saw there and what they could hear. Slowly and quietly Private You There and his similarly named companion crept up to the clearing and peered through the undergrowth at the Viking camp, using all of their keen observational skills. It took them less than a minute to gather all they needed to know and they were soon on their way back to give Nainn the report.

"Nainn's back" Astrid informed Hiccup.

"You can hear him?" he asked suitably impressed.

"I can smell him" she corrected "a long sea voyage does wonders for a man's aroma."

"Another plus for dragon travel" Hiccup declared while raising his mug of vegetable soup.

"Cheers" Astrid agreed as they tapped their mugs together.

"I'm not sure I really like this soup" Hiccup winced.

"Don't worry Babe, we'll be home in the morning; I'll make you some poached eggs."

"Thank you" he said insincerely.

Back in the woods, the two 'You There's' made their way to Prince Nainn.

"Well… was it as I suspected?"

"Yes sir" the first scout reported "we saw two tents and the same boy and girl sitting at a camp fire, drinking mugs of what smells like vegetable soup, from a steaming cauldron hanging over the fire."

"I knew this High Chief character was nothing more than a bluff" Nainn declared confidently "we've been sailing these waters for almost a month and not seen any sign of a town or village anywhere."

"There was one strange thing sir." offered Private You There the 12th.

"What was it?" Nainn enquired cautiously.

"It was their campfire sir."

"What about it?"

"Well there was no fire, no wood, no smoke and no red hot embers just… well… glowing rocks sir."

"Glowing... rocks?"

"Yes sir; red hot they were."

"Strange, alright then; you lot spread out and follow my lead."

Prince Nainn was a man among men and a true leader. This meant he would normally lead an attack on his enemies from a hill top half a mile away from the battle lines or, if he could manage it, from back in the war room of his father's castle. It came as no surprise to his men however, that he would personally lead the attack against the unarmed young couple by surprise in the dead of night, as they enjoyed a light supper together. The men were also not surprised that he didn't begin the operation without looking first to his left and his right to be sure of backup, just in case he was overpowered by a deadly mug of vegetable soup wielded by a pretty blonde girl or a boy with one leg.

"One and a half."

Shut up Astrid; I'm trying to narrate here.

"Sorry Marty."

"A-HA!" Nainn cried as he leapt out from the bushes.

"Look at this Milady; its Prince Nainn son of… King Thingummy of Whatsit."

"Rekkur of Bolthorn babe; get it right please."

"My sincerest apologies Prince. Would you like some soup? It's not very good though…"

"QUIET YOU TWO; you are both my prisoners and you will now return to Bolthorn castle as my slaves" Nainn declared smugly.

"Thanks for the offer Prince, but we're both very happy here" Hiccup stated "we have this cosy camp, these tents…"

"A lovely view" Astrid added "and all the eggs we could ever want."

"More than enough" Hiccup mumbled.

"SILENCE! I said you're coming with me NOW!"

"Don't I get a say in all this" a booming voice came from inside one of the tents as the flap was thrown open and the biggest man Nainn had ever laid eyes on, carrying one of the biggest axes that had ever been crafted, stepped out into the soft glow of the rock fire.

"GET HIM MEN" Nainn ordered but was surprised to find that his desire went unfulfilled. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH MY MEN" his voice, although loud, was beginning to crack.

"Your men are getting acquainted with the humble villagers of Berk" Hiccup informed Nainn "are you sure you don't want some soup?"

"Now why don't you put that sword back in its scabbard" Stoick suggested "and take a seat by the fire while we have a little chat."

It was a good thing Nainn's eyes were well attached for they had grown so wide that it appeared that they may fall out any time. His hands were shaking so much that he could not get the tip of his sword anywhere near the top of its scabbard and so he ended up dropping it on the ground as he sat down on a nearby log and prepared to die. Not by attempting to make peace with any kind of deity or steeling himself for the coming death blow, but by whimpering softly as tears ran down his cheeks.

"Hiccup" Stoick ordered "please take Astrid back to Berk and I shall see you in the morning.

"You got it Dad; oh and… avoid the soup."

"Don't worry son I will, I've already tasted it."

"Have I ever told you how much I love your father?" Astrid said as she and Hiccup flew high over Berks western sea.

"I think he's pretty fond of you too."

"I'm wondering how things will go with Nainn."

"Dad told me that the reason he had Nainn's men removed before he spoke with him, was so Dad could offer him a way out without his men's respect. Then Nainn could leave without losing his authority."

"I don't think they ever had any respect for him anyway."

"True; but is sounds like their system of rule is very different to ours and Dad said that until he knows what it's like back at Bolthorn, he can't pass any judgment. It's like how I will be Chief, but I'm still learning how and maybe Nainn is still learning how to lead too."

"Maybe, but I'd like to see what this King Rekkur is like because if he is anything like his son..."

"Don't forget though; I too am very different from my Dad" Hiccup noted as Toothless landed near Astrids home.

"Yeah but I love you both anyway" she bit Hiccups ear and giggled at his complaint.

Astrid slid off from behind Hiccup and kissed his dragon on the nose.

"Thank you for the lift Toothless" and she skipped off toward home.

"Hey" Hiccup protested "where's mine?"

"The one from last evening should have been enough to keep you happy for a week."

"Snotlout should ask you out more often; it's good for my love life."

"Don't push your luck" she smiled and disappeared behind her front door to find her own dragon sleeping peacefully by the fire place.

Captain Joric Thorn rubbed the lump of unusual size on the back of his head as he slowly regained consciousness. The pre dawn light fell through the open hatch and into the hold of his ship, while back on shore, Prince Nainn son of Rekkur gazed down from the edge of the forest to the men sitting tied up a few feet away from their row boats. He looked down at his hand and the ornate dagger therein, that had been gifted to him by Chief Stoick the Vast along with some words of great wisdom. Placing the dagger in his belt, Nainn strode down onto the beach and approached the bound men with his head held high and his arms swinging wide.

"Prince Nainn" the head guard declared surprised "how did you escape sir?"

"Escape?" Nainn let out a hearty laugh "I was no prisoner you fool; this Stoick person only wanted to speak with me alone so no one would have to see him beg for the lives of his people and his son."

"What was he like sir?" another asked "The men that took us down were huge."

"The one that took you down was a woman" the head guard pointed out to his shipmate "I heard them call her Sigrid and was very pretty too."

"Stoick was a tall man, but not very tough" Nainn was getting comfortable with his lies.

"He offered me some of his horrid soup, we talked about the burdens of leadership and then he gave me this rather ordinary looking blade as a sign of his surrender."

Nainn pulled out the beautiful and highly polished ceremonial knife with the dragon bone handle, gold wrapped bolster and Berk crest engraved on the heel of the blade. He then used it to cut the ropes that held his guards captive.

"Should we prepare to attack them sir and make them pay for this insult?"

"NO... umm... no" Nainn tried to remain aloof "I have decided that this place has nothing to offer us, but big lizards and bad soup; so I think we will set a course for home back the way we came."

"Then we're not going to continue northwest as your father commanded?"

"Err... no... we will report back to King Rekkur first and then make another attempt along a more southerly route."

"But why sir?"

"Because the Berkians told me of dangerous ice flows along our current route."

"Should we believe them though sir?"

"JUST GET TO THE BOATS BEFORE I DICIDE TO SEE JUST HOW SHARP THIS DAGGER REALLY IS."

"Understood sir" the freed men hurried off and launched the row boats from the shore.

It was now Stoicks turn to walk down from the forest onto the beach as the three boats made for the ship anchored offshore. He stopped in the exact place where Nainns men had sat in their bonds.

"Alright everyone; you can come out now."

From all around the Chief fourteen heavily armed Vikings stood up and threw off the sand covered yak skins that had kept them hidden. If Nainn had decided to free his men only to attack again, he would been held between those under the sand and the others in the forest but fortunately for him, he had followed Stoicks orders to the letter.

"It went almost exactly like you said it would Chief" Spitelout informed him "Nainn tells his men that he got the better of you, the knife was a symbol of your surrender and that he's decided to go back."

"And his men bought it?"

"They sure did Stoick" Thorfinn added "those fools will believe anything he tell 'em."

"Oh they weren't so bad" Sigrid gave a coy smile "one of them even said I was very pretty."

"He was talking about me" Kara insisted.

"You're both fooling yourselves" Big Freya declared "I'm sure he meant me."

"I was closer and I heard him mention my name."

"He may have heard your name, but it was dark so he may have gotten us confused" Kara argued.

"Yes you're all very lovely" Stoick admitted "now get to your dragons you bunch of vain gits before Gobber starts claiming that they were talking about him."

"Are you saying they weren't?" Gobber was genuinely surprised. 

Standing up at the port gunnel, the Captain Thorn watched the approaching boats with one table leg in his hand and three more lying on the deck nearby. He wondered how he was going to explain to Nainn about the only item on the ship the Vikings had stolen, when he had no idea himself why they had taken it.

"Surely Vikings have tables" he said to nobody in particular.

Back on the ship, Prince Nainn looked down once more at the knife he had recently used to free his men and remembered what High Chief Stoick the Vast from the Isle of Berk had told him about it. What he held in his hand was the blade that had been used in a special dragon gutting ceremony on Berk for almost three hundred years until peace had finally come with the teaming of a boy and a dragon the previous year. And although Stoick had not told Nainn of the types of beasts it had been used on, he was quite graphic in his description of its use. Stoick had then made it quite clear to Nainn that the same fate awaited him should he ever threaten any of Stoicks people or lands ever again and then the mighty Chief had given him the knife with these final words."

"I want you to keep this blade with you for the rest of your life. Use it; cherish it and every time you set eyes upon it, remember me and my warning."

Nainn did remember and as he stood at the stern of his ship, he drew back his arm to throw it into the sea. But even now he could still feel the gaze of Stoicks eyes burning into him and so he placed the blade back into his belt.

**Available soon from 'Gobbers Rarities and Collectables' the new calendar for 1172 - Warrior Women of Berk - featuring the most beautiful ladies modelling the shiniest battle armour. Includes the music and lyrics for Miss June's song about the Troll with the big nose and a wonderful recipe for vegetable soup. (Online orders will not be taken until after the invention of the computer.)**


	8. Chapter 8

8 Now what were we doing before?

Stoick watched almost alone from the western shore, as the strange ship of Prince Nainn of Bolthorn raised its anchor and unfurled its flag, a golden animal on a red field, and set sail toward the southeast; and as the ship finally disappeared over the horizon he smiled with satisfaction and patted the dragon at his side.

"Now Skywolf" he ordered and a burst of bright yellow flame shot up into the air.

Behind the southern tip of the island, Olaf standing watch on the bow of the Sharktooth took note of the signal and gave the order to raise the anchor.

"Okay you two" he gave the word to a pair of large Gronckles "off you go."

Fastened firmly in their custom harnesses the dragons flew out past the stem post and began to pull the ship around the point and into the open sea as Stoick mounted his Monstrous Nightmare and departed for Berk leaving only Gauk and Hak on the island in their wall less prison. The morning was cold and overcast so keeping track of Nainns ship was going to be 'difficult but not impossible' Stoick thought. As he landed back at the arena pens, he found Hoark the Haggard who was doing some repair works to the gate mechanisms.

"Can you take care of Skywolf's saddle for me Hoark? I need to get to the Great Hall for a strategy meeting."

"I'm on it Chief; he's in good hands."

As Stoick threw open the Door of the Great Hall, he saw a group of warriors pouring over a large highly polished rectangular wooden slab that was covered with scratches.

"Mornin' Chief; would you like an omelette?"

"Ah... thank you Astrid" he politely took the plate "and is there any of the boar left from last night to go with it?"

"I'll go see" she replied and hurried off.

Stoick shoved a fork full of the warm eggs into his mouth and was pleasantly surprised as the taste of ham and onion filled his mouth.

"She's getting better at this" he commented.

"Well... when you've only got one dish, best to learn how to do a lot with it" Thorfinn smiled.

"So what is this thing all about?" Stoick asked as he had another mouthful.

"We liberated it from Nainns ship" Odd replied "it was the only thing handy that we could copy the map onto."

"We used our knives to scratch out what was on the map and we've just rubbed ash into the cracks to make it easier to see" Mulch added.

Stoick looked intently at the only chart he would never roll up, and wondered out loud.

"So where is Berk on this thing?"

"We're not sure Chief, but it must be here someplace."

Hiccup wandered over and considered the map for a short time. He put down the plate of omelette he held, pulled his notebook out of his satchel and flicked through the pages till he found his map of Berk. He pondered what he saw for a few minutes as the Vikings argued; food occasionally flew across the table to punctuate their arguments.

"Hey Dad I think I've found something; have a look at this."

The Vikings halted their gastronomic discussion, except for Thorfinn who still had a valid point to make with a leg of mutton, and listened to what the Dragon Master had to say.

"What have you found son?"

"I've been looking on this map for anything that looks like my sketch of Berk when I realised two things. Firstly; the top left corner has a few lands on it that are only marked by one coastal side only so it looks like they were drawing parts of the map as they went along. Secondly; Nainn did not come here so Berk isn't on this map yet. What we need now is one of our charts from back in the days of the dragon hunts."

Five burly Vikings rushed over to a rack next on the right side rear wall and excitedly began to fight over who would be one to bring the charts to Hiccup. Eventually exuberance got the better of them as they tore the rack off the wall and carried it over to the table where Stoick buried his head in his hands.

"You pea brained bunch of trolls" he moaned to himself.

Hiccup unrolled and considered some of the charts before settling on one and laying it out on the table. He compared the two maps as the large crowd around him involuntarily held their breath.

"Here" he said excitedly as several Vikings turned blue and one fainted.

"This group of islands to the southwest" Hiccup swept his hand across the Viking chart "and the long island that runs from north to south where we first met Nainn; they all match up with these marks on the Bolthornian map."

The area that Hiccup now pointed to covered a few square inches in the top left hand corner of the former table top and Stoick began to realise just how large an area of the world the map from Bolthorn covered. The largest islands on his chart were only small dots in the corner of the table and if Berk had been on the map, it would have been no more than a dot as well.

"This is not good" Stoick declared "we've been so caught up for the last three hundred years in defending Berk that I never imagined that the world could be so big. If the people of Bolthorn are still mapping it then it must be even bigger than this chart shows and just look at the size of these land masses."

"There could be thousands of people there" Fjori noted.

"Thousands upon thousands" corrected Freya.

"Exactly the point" Stoick breathed deeply "even with dragon support we can't send the Sharktooth out alone for weeks or even months to follow that ship so far from home. I've been so focused on using the dragons to jump from island to island, that I never even gave more than a brief thought to rebuilding the fleet and now that... that... monster Nainn is on his way home. He may have an army bigger than we could ever imagine and a fleet of warships just waiting to set sail at his order. I should have waited till we'd had time to study this map before letting him go."

"It's not too late Stoick" Gobber suggested "it would only take us a few hours to catch him by dragon and then we could take the ship and work out what to do later."

"Then he'd know about the dragons and besides, I gave him my word and for all we know Nainn will just slink off with his tale between his legs and never return."

"If his forces are small" Gobber advised "then yes, but Nainn seems to me to be the kind of person to hold a grudge and if he does have a large force at his command then he'll be back... one day."

Stoick pondered Gobbers words and the map that lay before him, while his warriors stood in silence and waited; finally a few minutes later, the chief spoke.

"Hiccup; I want you to prepare a team of riders to head out and meet up with the Sharktooth later today. Tell Olaf I said to follow Nainn for no more than a week and make sure you have enough dragons with you to take the entire crew off the Sharktooth if anything should go wrong. Gobber; commandeer anyone you need to get the forge and your workshop rebuilt. We need to start building the new Berk fleet now."

"Hiccup" Fjori interrupted "it doesn't matter if you're not ready; the time has come to show your father."

"Oh I'm ready" Hiccup smiled "Dad; can we see you back at the house in fifteen minutes please?"

Stoick eyes darted between his son and Fjori as he considered what they were going to bring to him. While all this was going on, Gobber the Belch looked down at the Viking chart to see all eighteen islands depicted bore the same legend 'No Dragons Here'.

"We really need to start naming these islands" he decided.  
_

Hiccup spent the next ten minutes talking to Astrid, Snotlout and Sigrid about the upcoming excursion to the southeast and after giving the three orders to prepare for departure within the hour, he made his way home to where Fishlegs, Mulch and Fjori awaited Stoick with some very interesting items.

"I cannot deny that you four have piqued my interest so what have you got to tell me?" Stoick lay out the challenge as he entered the house soon after.

"Well Dad it's like this; the state of the Berk fleet, or lack of it has been on my mind ever since the dragons disappeared last Snoggletog. I figured if they didn't come back, we would need more than one ship to search for them, but when they did return it looked like my fears were unfounded. I did speak to Fishlegs about it and he had a very interesting take on the problem that Mulch and Fjori have been looking into."

Fjori rose to take over the presentation "Now what we have here Chief is a model of the Doombringer that Mulch made a few years ago" he picked up a small ship not quite a foot long with intricately carved little Viking warriors just over half an inch tall on its deck.

"Look at all the little Vikings" Mulch picked one up "and this one is me."

"Hullo little Mulch" he tickled the figures belly.

"We haven't got all day Mulch" Stoick was annoyed.

"Sorry Chief"

"And this is the Hammer" Fjori bent to pick up a model ship over four and a half feet long and little Vikings over two inches high.

"As you can see, these two models are to a different scale because in reality they were roughly the same size. Now both these fine vessels are on the bottom of the bay off the north eastern side of Dragon Island except for the bits that went into making up our camp site there of course" Fjori unrolled a drawing of a different ship and placed it before his Chief.

"Now what we have here is a rough drawing of a very different longship we would like to build."

Stoick the Vast was very experienced in the building and sailing of longships, but had never been involved in the design of any before. He could not see any major difference between this and every other previous ship, but if Fjori said it was new, Stoick believed him.

"Well I can't fault the drawing, as rough as it is, so what's the big change with this one?"

"The best way is to show you Chief."

Stoick watched with interest as Fjori picked all the wooden Vikings off the deck of the Hammer and placed them on the table. Next he took a smaller one from the smaller Doombringer and placed it onto the larger model. Mulch smiled and Fishlegs bit his lip while shaking with excitement, as Stoick pondered what had been done.

"You want to build a special ship for children?"

"No sir" Mulch corrected "that's a full sized warrior."

"Then that means the ship must be..." Stoick looked around at the four grinning Vikings.

"That's right Dad, we wanna build a bigger boat."

"Alright... I'll take the bait... why?"

"Put simply sir" Fishlegs explained "dragons. If we were to rebuild the fleet as it was before, then we could only have a small number of dragons – mainly Gronckles – able to travel with the fleet as most of the larger dragons would need to keep leaving the ships and find an island to rest on."

"A Nightmare or a Zippleback on a fully laden longship like the Sharktooth could easily capsize her" Fjori knew his ships.

"But with some bigger ships we could go further from land and explore further from Berk and the dragons would have no trouble travelling on board" Mulch insisted "and I have gotten to the stage where I feel much safer with a few strong, loyal dragons close by in a pinch."

"Me too Dad and although we thought about this before we ran into Nainn, with ships of this size we could follow him to the end of the world and back again."

"I have many more questions about this plan, but we can't dwell on it now. Have you got your team ready to go Hiccup?"

"It's happening as we speak Dad and we'll be in the air soon."

"Good; then those who remain can get to work on rebuilding the forge as soon as possible. No other project takes priority as I want to get two standard sized ships constructed straight away. So pass the word that everything else is on hold until we have a couple of wet hulls at Raven Point; now go."

"I'll see you in a few weeks Dad" Hiccup grabbed his satchel and ran off to the arena after his father had squeezed him so tight, that he almost popped.

Four dragons waited laden with riders, weapons and supplies and three more stood ready. Astrid had prepared Toothless for Hiccup with saddle and pack as well as giving his control lines a thorough check. Odd and Freya were the only others not yet in the saddle as they bid fair well to their children.

"I wish I could go camping with you too" Little Freya pouted.

"Then who would look after Swift?" her mother replied as she kissed her daughter goodbye.

"You tell that Prince Nainn if he ever shows his face around here again, me and Firebeard will burn it off" Orr declared to his father, Odd.

"I'll tell him son and it's good to know that Berk will be in good hands while we're away."

As the last of the riders mounted their dragons Hiccup noticed Fishlegs was standing close by with Meatlug.

"Good luck with my Dad Fishlegs; we'll see you soon."

"And we'll have everything ready to go when you do."

"Are you ready to go Bud?" Toothless barked as Hiccup took one last look around to check that all was as it should be and then he nodded in satisfaction.

"Right then" he called out "Snotlout; take point, Sigrid; you cover the rear, Astrid can take high scan, Ruff and Tuff; please stay close and the rest are with me."

"LET'S GO ALREADY" Snotlout called as he lifted off.

Fishlegs, Hoark and the children waved until the seven riders and eight dragons were mere dots in the sky.

"Do you wish you were going with them lad?" Hoark asked.

"Yeah; kind of" Fishlegs replied "but if I was going with them then I would want to be back here getting the workshop finished."

"Life's like that I suppose."

**Why would Thorfinn use a leg of mutton to make his point when everyone knows that a side of boar holds much more sway in a debate? And how long did Stoick spend trying to roll up the table top? If you look for the answers in Act II, you will be greatly disappointed.**

**Although I've only had feedback from a few readers, I have noticed how many people have been logging on and reading each chapter as I get them up. Thanks everyone so much for taking the time and reading. **

**"Hi there" to The Nightmare Bringer, from Marty.**


	9. Chapter 9

How To Deal With A Seasick Dragon

Act II - Follow that Prince

9 This is my island in the rain

Astrid enjoyed the High Scan position way above the clouds where the sun always shone, but the air was still very cold. Although the cloud cover was heavy today, there were enough gaps for her to keep an eye on the Weyr below her but that did not stop the dragons, including Stormfly, from letting out the occasional cry so that they could keep track of each other's position.

Her time in the sun came to a halt just short of an hour later, when a very familiar Nightmare lifted slowly through the cloud at a shallow angle.

"Hey babe" Snotlout smiled as dragon glided alongside hers.

"Please don't call me that Snotlout" she huffed.

"Sorry Astrid; old habits and all that."

"You're forgiven, so what's up?"

"We are; but Hiccup wants to borrow Stormfly so I'm here to relieve you."

"Oh good; I'm relieved to hear it. Bye" she waved as she disappeared below.

Stormfly dropped down below the cloud and moved into position slightly above and to the right of the Night Fury.

"Coming down" she called in warning as she slid off her dragons back and onto Toothless, before slipping down behind Hiccup as her dragon swooped away and took up position below them in an often practiced manoeuvre.

"You rang master?" she grinned.

"I've asked Sigrid to lead the group to an island ahead that should take you about twenty or thirty minutes to get to, while I drop down to see Olaf. I'll catch up with you later."

"You got it Babe."

Hiccup reached down and moved a lever into the lock position so Toothless could fly level under his own control.

"See ya soon Bud" he patted the dragon, swung his right leg over its head and dropped down onto Stormfly's saddle.

Sliding forward, Astrid reached down to release the lock as she picked up the reigns. She guided Toothless around to the right and pulled up alongside Sigrid.

"Okay everyone" Sigrid called to the riders "We'll all fly up over the clouds while we overtake Nainn's ship. Odd; you stay in the lower bank and let us know when we are well past him; and Astrid, I don't want to hear any speed related whistles and noises from Toothless, so just fly slow with us."

"You're no fun" Astrid protested.  
_

Stormfly glided down in a wide circle around the Sharktooth until she was low enough for Hiccup to drop on the deck, without landing on the over loaded vessel.

"CIRCLE STORMFLY" Hiccup called out as he spun his arm around his head as a signal to the dragon.

"Rhaak Graak" she replied and moved off away from the ship.

"Not using your Gronckle team Olaf?"

"Not now we've caught up to Nainn's ship, but we will again when we drop back because of our heavy load."

"Yes indeed and the good news is that I have come to lessen your load a little to the tune of two Gronckles and two tool packs as well as to bring you a message from my father."

"And what's Stoick got to tell me then?"

Hiccup took out and unrolled his chart of the inner islands around Berk and explained to Olaf what he had discovered about the table map taken from the Bolthornians and to explain about Stoicks one week limit on their journey.

"We had hoped to follow him all the way home so we could discover where he had come from" Hiccup explained "but we just don't know how far Bolthorn is and there is a possibility that it may be much bigger than Berk and far more dangerous; so for now Dad wants us to simply make sure Nainn leaves and to get an idea of the general direction he goes in."

"Are we still gonna try and con him into believing we have people on every island?" Olaf asked.

"We'll give it a shot and that's why I want to steal half your Gronckles" Hiccup grinned.  
_

Although the wind was extremely unpredictable in the lower cloud banks, Windrunner knew all the signs and he glided surprisingly smoothly through the mist. As Odd kept a close eye on the ship being tossed from wave to wave on the open seas below, it took his mind back to the days when any trip, long or short, was a true adventure in sailing for the Vikings. But now as Dragon Riders, they could reach any island in the seas surrounding Berk in less than a day, although almost all of these islands remained totally unexplored.

He considered how the last year of peace and rebuilding in the village had meant that Nainn was able to sail all the way to the heart of the Vikings home without being noticed, but he felt sure that they would never make that mistake again. Odd had definitely looked forward to one day receiving visitors but invaders like Nainn would soon find a very different welcome awaited them.

As soon as the Dragon Riders were far enough ahead of Prince Nainn's ship not to be seen, Sigrid brought them all back down below the clouds to search for the first island marked on Stoicks old Dragon Island hunting map. Another five minutes passed before Tuffnut spotted a rise on the horizon that turned out to be a tall peak, about a quarter mile away from the main body of a large island, covering almost five square miles. There was also a much smaller isle near the edge of a bay on the northern side that would barely cover four acres. The highest point on the main island was much lower than the off shore peak, but was still high enough to be covered with snow.

"Stay here while I take a look" Sigrid called out to the other riders as she dropped down to circle the island at a lower level. Only two minutes had passed before her return.

"Okay everyone listen up; I think I've found the most likely spot where Nainn would have landed near that crescent bay. We will take up our position back from the cliff to the east; so follow me and let's get going."

The six dragons glided down to a high position four hundred yards back from the cliff edge, over a mile east of the northern bay. From there, the riders could see some low, thick forests in the higher lands but the trees were quite sparse at their current location.

"If Nainn decides to stop off here for water" Sigrid informed the group "then I'd say we've got as least three hours before we see him."

"What do you want us to do?" Odd enquired.

"Astrid and Ruffnut can go and check out the bay. Look for any signs that there were people here in the last few days and see if you can work out precisely where they went. Odd, Freya and Snotlout head up to the forest and find me a spot that shows no sign that anyone has visited before and that is where we will put Odds 'I-was-here-all-along-but-you-didn't-see-me' camp. Tuffnut and I will create a Hide up here so we can keep a close watch on the men from Bolthorn, if they do come ashore."

"Come on Toothless" Astrid called to the Night Fury.

"NO DRAGONS" Sigrid yelled "if Nainn does land here I don't want him finding dragon tracks all over the place so leave them here on the rocky ground."

The three Nightmares and the Zippleback settled down to rest while Toothless followed Sigrid everywhere she went. Tuffnut had to hold on tight to Windrunner just to stop him from following Odd into the forest, as Nadders are very loyal creatures and will often form a very strong bond with their pet Vikings.  
_

Moving slowly down the hill toward the bay, Astrid took careful note of the bushes she passed and the ground around her and searched for any sign of recent human activity but as they walked, Ruffnut had her mind on other things.

"So how are things going with you and lover boy" Ruffnut asked tactlessly.

"You better not be talking about Snotlout" Astrid threatened.

"Oh come on Astrid, it's me you're talking to here, not Tuffnut. So has Hiccup asked you to be his one and only betrothed yet?"

"HA! I've only just stopped being Snotlouts betrothed; finally... well... in his mind anyway."

"So how did you 'finally' get Snotlout to stop telling anyone and everyone who would listen that you and he were an item?" Ruffnut was very curious.

"I kissed Hiccup in front of him."

"Is that all it took?"

"You should have been there; it was quite a kiss."

"So with Snotlout out of the way, I still wonder why Hiccup hasn't asked you yet."

"Oh come on Ruff; we've only been together for about a year."

"Only a year; ONLY?"

"I'm only fifteen Ruff."

"There you go with the only's again; You'll be only fifteen for a few more days and besides, I'm talking betrothal not marriage."

"Yes but one leads to the other and... well... I may have hinted that I wasn't ready to talk about anything like that yet."

"WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT?"

"Hey… keep your voice down."

"Don't avoid the question Astrid; why did you 'hint' that you wouldn't be his betrothed?"

"Well... it's hard to explain."

"Try" Ruffnut demanded

"It's like... well... I know he's the right one for me…"

"Good… go on."

"But I sometimes wonder... if I'm the right girl for him."

"The right girl for… oh come on Astrid; are you aware of how long that boy has been in love with you?"

"Yes I am; he went into great detail about it the day he finally woke up after the Dragon Island battle last year."

"You are really starting to annoy me Astrid."

"LOOK RUFF; HE'S GONNA BE CHIEF ONE DAY, RIGHT?"

"So what; Chiefs have wives too you know… that's where little chiefs come from.

Ruffnuts tactless remark brought a surprised stare from her friend.

Alright Astrid don't look at me like that, you know what I mean. Yes he will be Chief one day; big whoop?"

"Well his Dad is always on his back to practice his leadership skills and be more 'chief' like."

"Ah… I see the problem; you're not ready to be 'chief's wife' like."

"What are you talking about?"

"Face it Astrid; you would rather go and play hide and seek with Stormfly, than stay in the village and help Hiccup with the things that his father expects of him."

"I'm helping him now" she protested.

"Oh yes, you're helping him now, out on an adventure; but if he were back on Berk dealing with a dispute between Gobber and Ack, where would you be then... hmmm?"

Astrid just stood and glared at Ruffnut while considering her reply.

"Shut up Ruffnut!"

As she turned to continue her search, Astrid noticed a definite sign in the sand, but Ruffnut however had noticed something else in the opposite direction as a Deadly Nadder and two Gronckles flew overhead.

"Look down here" Astrid pointed out "a large boot print."

"Look up there" Ruffnut replied "Berks loneliest future chief."

"I thought I told you to shut up."

**As Astrid asks herself if she is the right girl for Hiccup, I am sure that if we listen carefully, we will hear the sound of a hundred thousand fan girls shouting 'No you're not; go back to Snotlout'. These would be the same girls who still don't like Ginny Weasley for stealing Harry Potter away from them.**


	10. Chapter 10

10 Welcome Back

When Hiccup and Stormfly landed on the cliff top, Hiccup soon found himself lying on his back on a hard rock. This was not by choice however, but because this state of being had been forced upon him by an overjoyed Night Fury.

"Yeah I'm happy to see you too Bud" he desperately tried to stop the dragon from licking him "can you please get off me Toothless?"

"My goodness" Sigrid declared "you've only been apart for thirty minutes. What will he be like if you have to go your separate ways for a week or two?"

"I think we'd both be more than a little upset... OOOOFF" Hiccup doubled over as Toothless stood on his stomach.

"So then; did you get things sorted out on the Sharktooth?"

"Only a slight change of plans; Olaf will bring the ship up to the beach after we are sure that Nainn is gone from here, then we can unload most of the building supplies here so the Sharktooth will be battle ready."

"Battle ready? What are you expecting to happen; more trouble from Nainn?"

"Well hopefully not, but I showed Olaf my copy of Nainns map and we talked of my Dads concerns. He suggested something that I never considered; we may come across other ships from Bolthorn in the next five or six days. It is unlikely but it is possible"

Sigrid considered this theory for a moment.

"And your plans if we do see any?" she asked.

"Same as before" Hiccup answered "observe, follow and report back."

Hiccup spent most of the next hour with Tuffnut positioning old dead bushes and shrubs around large rocks to complete the hide, so the Dragon Riders could spy from the cliff top while remaining unobserved. Sigrid took the Gronckles with the tents and tools they had brought from the Sharktooth up to the tree line for Odd and his group of merry helpers.

"I've heard a rumour that Snotlout went out on a date with your girlfriend" the sleazy grin on Tuffnuts face was truly disturbing.

"That's right Tuff" Hiccup replied as he stacked up some rocks to hold a large bush in place "he took her to the dance a few nights ago."

"Why; can't you dance?"

"Well I can do a pretty good one step" Hiccup grinned, but the joke was lost on Tuffnut.

"But still, she was Snotlouts betrothed for almost two years before you and she became an item."

"That was only wishful thinking on Snotlouts part; only an idiot would have believed Astrid was really Snotlouts betrothed."

"I did" Tuffnut declared unaware of the connotation.

Hiccup opened his mouth to reply then thought better of it.

"So why haven't you asked her to be your betrothed yet" Tuffnut pushed.

"What is it with you Tuff; your beginning to sound like my dad, but don't worry because we've talked about it and Astrid is happy just to leave things as they are for now."

"Keeping her options open eh? Maybe I still have a chance with her."

"Just get back to work Tuffnut" Hiccup sighed.

The two young men finished their task in relative silence until they saw the return of Berks femme fatales. Stormfly jumped up at their approach and ran to Astrid so fast, she almost knocked the girl over.

"I'm happy to see you too Stormfly" she said as she hugged her dragons neck.

"Hey Babe; how's it going with the hide?" she asked Hiccup

"Oh... only minor problems" his eyes glanced at Tuffnut.

Even though she did not follow his insinuation, Astrid own eyes were glancing at Ruffnut.

"Yeah... I know what you mean."

"So what did you and Ruff find down there?"

"Someone has definitely been here before. We followed some tracks from the beach along a stream that appears to be flowing down from the snow line a few miles away. There was a camp site back off the beach and a few pools along the stream where they appeared to have tried to snare some birds or animals while taking on water."

"Snares again; so when they trapped Swiftwing, they may have been looking for food; we're just lucky we got her back before she became a spit roast."

"Eeww and yuk" Astrid was beginning to feel a little ill "I don't even want to think about that."

When Freya, Snotlout and Sigrid returned soon after with the Gronckles, Astrid informed them of the signs she had found while Hiccup considered the preparations they had made; it was time for some new orders.

"Freya; I want you to take the twins and find us a place to hide the dragons further away so that they won't be heard by Nainn, but close enough to be called upon if we need them. Snotlout; how would you like to take a little trip out over the coast to see how far away the ships are."

"No need" Snotlout replied and pointed to the horizon "take a look."

Hiccup followed the pointing finger and saw that, although it was still only little more than a small black dot on a dark ocean, it would not be long until Prince Nainns ship arrived on the island.

"Okay... well... they may still sail past but just to be sure, I'm heading down to the beach with Toothless and Odd to get into position and wait. Sigrid; you take charge up here" He leapt on to Toothless as the others got ready for their impending visitors.

"Come on Bud; let's go" and with a loud whoosh, the Night Fury was gone.

"OKAY EVERYONE" Sigrid called out "LET'S HIDE THESE DRAGONS."

**Can everyone on Berk do a good 'one step' or only Gobber and Hiccup? One thing is for sure; it is very easy to get high marks on 'Dancing with the Berkian Vikings"**


	11. Chapter 11

11 Not So Welcome Back

"Nainn's ship is getting closer" Hiccup informed Odd "so it's time we got ourselves ready down at the beach."

Odd got up onto Toothless's back behind Hiccup and they were soon flying away from the campsite and down to the bay where they chose the best place for a night Fury to hide.

"Now then, do you remember the hand signal Odd?"

"Back of me hand up to me nose, splay me fingers and point to the place I want the blast to go."

"Right; let's take our positions."

Hiccup and Toothless went to their place above the bay to the east that provided them with good cover and a reasonable view of the beach, while Odd moved up the hill to the south following one of the streams of water that flowed down to the sea. Up on the cliff top Sigrid and Astrid were watching from the hide while Snotlout kept Hookfang, Skywolf and Stormfly out of sight. Freya, Tuffnut and Ruffnut had taken all the other dragons deep into the forest to a separate camp for the Dragon Riders.

"Well then" Sigrid peered out over the ocean "it looks like we will have some visitors after all."

She handed the short, roughly made telescope to Astrid who observed the now familiar site of the ship from Bolthorn, as it glided into the sheltered waters of the bay and dropped anchor. Ten minutes passed as she watched the men on board scurrying around and seeing to their tasks, before two small boats were lowered over the side and twelve men made their way ashore. Down nearer the bay, other eyes kept watch of the same events.

"Right then" Nainn called out to his men as he marched up the beach a few minutes later "you three go and set up the camp and you four see to the ships water supply; the rest can come with me."

The word 'camp' was the only one Hiccup needed to hear and so he waved to Odd who began to saunter casually down the hill toward Nainn and his men.

"Good afternoon gentlemen" Odd called out in a friendly greeting as all the men from Bolthorn dropped whatever they were doing and drew their swords.

"Whoa there, easy on gents I'm not gonna hurt anyone" Odd raised his hands up just a little, to show that he was not going for the battleaxe slung to his back.

"WHO ARE YOU" Nainn barked nervously "AND WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?"

"My name is Odd."

"I DON'T CARE HOW BLOODY STRANGE IT IS, TELL ME YOUR NAME; NOW!" Nainn bellowed in fear filled anger for although he had never set eyes on this man before, his large frame, horned helmet and bushy beard reminded Nainn of someone he would much sooner forget.

"You don't understand sir; I'm not saying my name is odd, I'm saying that Odd... is my name."

"Oh" Nainn sneered "and where did you come from... Odd?"

"I'm from Berk... wait a minute... are you the people who were here on this island a few days ago?"

"Berk?" the name struck fear in Nainn's heart and he tried unsuccessfully not to let it show "how did you know we've here before?"

"Well I've been here for a quite a while" Odd lied "but I've been off exploring and when I got back from the other side of the island a few days ago, I seen a ship just like yours sailing away to the north west and I found your campsite as well."

Odd gave another friendly smile and waited to see if his lies would be believed.

"Are there any others here... Odd?" Nainn asked suspiciously.

"I'm here on my own doing some work for Chief Stoick the Vast; this is one of his inner isles."

"What kind of work... Odd?" Nainn was sorry to hear Stoicks name mentioned so soon after leaving the other island where he had met the High Chief.

"Oh... I'm just setting up a special little spot where weary travellers can find a good camp site with firewood and some supplies, if they should find ever themselves in a spot of bother. Stoick is that kind of person; he likes to take care of strangers."

Nainn did not like the tone in the Vikings voice during that last sentence.

"So where is your vessel... Odd?"

"My oh my, but you do ask a lot of questions... at the point of a sword."

"My apologies... Odd but I'm not sure I believe your story. After all, you say you're out here alone but you don't look very worried about being with such a large group of armed men" Nainn sneered "do you... Odd?"

"Oh I feel quite safe. Anybody who regularly sails these waters knows that it would be unwise for them to ever get on the wrong side of Stoick by threatening one of his people, as it can be very... unpleasant."

Nainn looked down at the dagger Stoick had given him and he remembered the warning that went along with it. At the same time, Nainn's men began to wonder if their Princes tale about Stoicks surrender had been entirely true. Nobody would ever dare question him about it if they wanted to keep living a long and healthy life.

"Alright then" Nainn sheathed his sword and signalled his men to do likewise "so then... Odd, now that I've put away my sword... and we are all... friends, where is your ship?"

"Oh it's out there somewhere. I'm sure they'll come by and pick me in the morning. And what about you gentlemen what are your plans on..."

Panic suddenly struck Odd as he realised that they had not named the island and if it had no name, then his story about having been there before and of Stoicks claim to it would fall apart.

"...Trio Island" he began to breathe again.

"Well we were just going to replenish our water supply, unless you have any objection... Odd" Nainn said, his voice dripping with sarcastic disrespect.

"Oh no; none whatsoever; after all, there's plenty here for all of us. Well then; I'll be getting back to me camp and I'll leave you gents to you work" Odd felt satisfied to know they would not be staying.

"But... maybe we should stay here Odd... until your ship comes... to make sure you'll be alright; after all, I'm sure Stoick would appreciate it if we didn't just abandon you here... alone... waiting for a ship that may not return. These seas are treacherous you know."

"Oh... no need to bother. Even if something does happen to the ship, I can survive here for years and there'll be another one along someday soon."

"No... I wouldn't dream of abandoning you here. I think we should camp here tonight and see if this... ship arrives to get you."

"Please yourself" Odd was not happy with the way things had gone "I'll come by and see you in the morning."

"And I may come and see you sooner" Nainn whispered to himself.

Hiccup kept a very close eye on Nainn and his men as Odd walked away up the path, just in case the prince decided to use his throwing knife again. When at last the Viking was safely away, he climbed on to Toothless who ran up through the forest toward the cliff blind to meet up with the others.

Hak threw another piece of wood on the fire outside of the tent he shared with Gauk as Stoick and Gobber approached. The Chief liked to walk silently in a dignified way while his blacksmith friend insisted on singing a strange song about the dangers of swimming in cold weather, as he went along with a jig in his step.

"Good afternoon Mr. Stoick and how are you today sir?"

As a Berkian Viking, Stoick was having trouble relaxing when he was being addressed in this ultra polite manner; Stoick assumed it was something expected by Prince Nainn and others like him from Bolthorn.

"Just call me Stoick" he asked "or Chief; everyone calls me Chief."

"Some of us call you..."

"That's enough Gobber! Now then Hak, I want to ask you about Bolthorn."

"Certainly sir... I mean... Chief; what would you like to know?"

Back on the newly named Trio Island, Odd sat alone in front of his small tent while tending the fire and preparing for his dinner.

"Hiccup told us how things went with Nainn" Astrid remarked as she approached and sat down opposite the depressed Viking.

"I blew it Astrid; I don't know how, but I blew it. He was gonna get water and leave... but now..."

"No he wasn't" she replied "Hiccup heard him giving his men orders to set up his camp before you walked down."

"That weedy little Troll; he lied to me."

"I think he's had plenty of practice at it" Astrid smirked.

"All of a sudden I don't feel so guilty about trying to trick him. I think Stoick fears will prove to be correct. I think there are a lot more of these Bolthornians and we need to..."

"Good evening Mr. Odd."

Astrid stood up with a start as Nainn and two of his guards entered the campsite. She should have been concentrating; she should have heard their approach.

"YOU!" Nainn pointed at Astrid in surprise.

"Me?" she replied innocently.

"Y... You're that girl."

"No" Astrid replied "I'm this girl."

**Will Odd start to become more self conscious about his name (and if he does, will he blame me for it)? Maybe I should re-write the whole story and change his name to Justin the Mighty Viking Warrior... nah, I can't be bothered.**


	12. Chapter 12

12 Odd and Astrids Lying Circus

"How did you get here girl?" Nainn drew his sword, but he kept his distance. His voice had turned shrill and the tip of his blade wobbled nervously.

"I... I err... came here with... my father... didn't I... Daddy?"

Odd looked down at Astrid and desperately tried to get his head around this new lie.

"Err... yes... yes she did come here with me" he started to grin as he put his arm around Astrids shoulder and pulled her in close.

"Helping her ol' dad with his work, she's a good girl alright."

Nainn began to pace back and forth considering all that he had been told since arriving on Trio Island, as Odd had called the place.

"You told me you were alone here... Odd" the Prince said accusingly.

"Yes that's right... alone with me daughter. No other warriors here at all except for the little blonde one by me side."

Odd knew how to play the role of proud father very well, as he had a young son at home who gave him plenty of practice.

"Aww... you're so sweet" Astrid played the shy daughter as she lightly punched Odd on the belly.

"Oooff... watch out for her right hook gents" he smiled but it was good advice; when she wasn't holding back, Astrid could lay out someone twice her size with one punch.  
-

A large wave crashed over the port bow of the Sharktooth as two Gronckles appeared low in the distance carrying two riders each.

"Hullo then; sumpthin's up" Ack commented to Olaf.

The first dragon with Sigrid and Ruffnut landed hard as the one carrying Freya and Tuffnut circled around once more. With a thump, the women dropped on the deck.

"Slight change of plans Olaf" Sigrid informed the skipper "Nainn being unpredictable so we have to get your dragons off the ship and hidden on the island. You have to head for the beach as fast as the Sharktooth can manage."  
-

"But I saw you yesterday" Nainn accused "on that island... with the one legged boy."

"One and a half" Astrid corrected.

"And Stoick said you were his daughter."

"Future... daughter" she corrected again.

"Really?" Odd looked down at her with a grin like a Cheshire Cat.

"We'll talk later... daddy" Astrid said from the side of her mouth as she elbowed him in the ribs.

"You must have met my sister Astrid; she's back home with Chief Stoick and his son, I'm err... Estrid... the pretty one."

"Sisters... hmmm?" Nainn considered her excuse with a certain amount of disbelief but it did explain how she came to be here.

"So why didn't you mention this... daughter of yours back on the beach... Odd?"

"Back on the beach when I said good afternoon, you all drew your swords; so would you mention a daughter if you were in my position?"

Astrid noticed the look in Nainn's eyes and she suspected he wanted to threaten Odd with her kidnap, just as he had done to Hiccup the previous day.

The four Dragon Riders now left the Sharktooth on four dragons as Olaf's entire supply of ship tug Gronckles lifted off from the deck. Each Gronckle wore a special body harness designed to help them to carry small loads and each harness was hooked onto the corner of a large net full of planks. The bow of the longship instantly sat higher in the water as the weight of both wood and dragons were removed allowing Hiccup to return to the ship with Toothless.

"We should be on the beach in less than half an hour Hiccup" Olaf informed the boy.

"Good" Hiccup replied as he led Toothless up to the bow "Okay Bud; give me a long shot over the island."

Toothless retracted his teeth and rounded his mouth to get better aim and distance. He then sent a shot of blue plasma over the distant island. As expected, it flew long and exploded just past the centre of the snow cap.

Back at the camp, Astrid was the first hear the sound of the approaching fireball, but it was not long before Nainn and his men were also looking high over their shoulders. The prince's blood ran cold as he recognised the blue flame a split second before it exploded high and on the right of him.

"Oh look Dad; it's a signal from one of Stoicks many ships" she commented casually.

"Stoick! He's here?" Nainn panicked.

"Maybe" she lied "as I said, he has many ships."

Nainn ran off back down the hill leaving his guards behind. The two men just smiled at Astrid and Odd and said one simple word.

"Bye" they shrugged their shoulders and left.

"Well then, oh prettiest of my daughters... apparently" Odd grinned "shall we retire to the beach and observe the departure of yonder prince?" he bowed.

"Certainly father" Astrid curtsied "what a simply marvellous suggestion."

She took Odds arm and they strolled away together down the hill while Astrid pretended to hold up an imaginary long dress with her pinkie finger delicately raised.

"I wonder what the fashionable ladies will be wearing on Berk this season?" she commented.

"Whatever it is" Odd replied "you can't afford it."

"BREAK CAMP" Nainn yelled to his men as he ran down the hill "BACK TO THE SHIP."

He flew past the men carrying water kegs down to the boats, with his sword still waving wildly in his hand.

"Didn't his muther evah tell 'im not to run wiv sharp fings?" Farg Ponomon commented to his fellow sailor.

"Apparently not" Toki replied.

As Nainn approached the boats, he could just make out a small ship in the distance. It did not look very impressive to his eyes, but the risk that it may carry Stoick the Vast was too great for him to remain on the island; particularly since he had just threatened more of Stoicks people. He looked down once more at the dagger in his belt; it could not be causing him more pain if it were stuck in his side.

From the bow of the Sharktooth, Hiccup watched the small boats as they returned to their ship. Beside him lay a squirming and complaining sheet of oiled canvas, making far more fuss than it should.

"Easy Toothless; it looks like they're leaving so you won't have to stay covered much longer."

The anchor was raised and the sail was dropped in close to record time once the boats were back on board. Nainn made his way to the stern of his ship and looked back at the longship entering the bay behind him. The ship was still a fair way off, but he was sure that he could see that same boy he had met the previous day so even if Stoick wasn't on the ship, having his son here was almost as bad. The vessel from Bolthorn departed from the western entrance to the bay just as the bow of the Sharktooth struck the sand. Hiccup half jumped and half fell from the ship and tumbled on to the sand as Odd and Astrid walked down to greet them.

Scrambling to his feet... well... foot, he ran as fast as his one and a half legs would carry him straight towards his favourite Nadder rider.

"Ooofff" she gasped as he ran into her.

"OhAstridI'msogladyouralright. Areyoualright? Youlookalright. Youlookwonderful. WhatdidNainndotoyou..."

"WHOAH BOY slow down... I'm fine" she attempted to calm the hyperventilating Hiccup.

"I'm fine too" Odd added "as if anyone cares."

Hiccup was turning a little blue and began to look a little wobbly, so Astrid grabbed his shoulders.

"Breath Hiccup! That's it... long deep breaths."

"Oh Astrid... I was so worried... last time... I was there... Toothless was there... but this time..."

"This time Odd was there and we both looked out for each other."

Hiccup sank to his knees "All I could think about...was when Nainn threw his knife yesterday. He threw it at Swift.. but at first I thought... I thought..."

The look in his eyes made Astrid remember how worried she had been back during those first days when Hiccup had lost his leg and remained unconscious for so long. As he held her, she remembered how helpless she had felt while he had fought for life, and she began to understand what he was feeling now.

**For the latest news on the Berk summer fashion line, pick up a catalogue from your nearest **_**Chez Gobbeir**_** store or from wherever high quality lace iron breastplates are sold.**


	13. Chapter 13

13 Nice of you to drop in

The sun touched the horizon behind the round young man and his Gronckle as they made their way southeast as fast as the bulbous dragon could manage even with a slight tail wind.

"Don't worry girl" Fishlegs was trying to comfort himself more than the dragon "we'll find them before it gets dark."

Further ahead, the ship from Bolthorn was making good time under sail as it escaped from the place Odd named 'Trio Island'.

"We're about another two hours away from the next island Milord but the moon should be bright enough for you to go ashore tonight."

"That's assuming the rotten place isn't crawling with Vikings" Nainn cursed under his breath.

As evening came to Trio Island, the Dragon Riders and the crew of the Sharktooth relaxed together at the site of Nainns former camp near the beach. With the ship from Bolthorn long gone there was now on need for Odds pretend camp and the hiding place on the eastern side of the island, so both had been abandoned. Hiccup felt much better having everyone in the one place even if it would be for only one night, but he was also feeling frustrated at having to constantly change the direction of his plans. They had finished unloading the Sharktooth and had left everything that they would not take the next day in a high place covered with a sail so it could be recovered later if needed.

Hiccup sat and watched the sun set while receiving some advice from Helga, Agnar, Sigrid and Olaf while the others saw to the camp and the dinner.

"Well that's just the way it goes" Helga was saying "you make plans as best you can but when situation changes, you have to go with it."

"I know" Olaf was disappointed too "but I had hoped to get some of those emergency shelters built on this trip."

"Why is that so important to you Olaf?" Sigrid asked.

"Well... I was hoping to use them" he replied.

"Use them for what?" Agnar was truly puzzled.

"Sometime I just want to get away for a while and... go fishing."

"I'm sorry Olaf" Hiccup sympathised "but Nainn is turning out to be more of a handful than we thought, so we better concentrate on driving him away, rather than just observing him. He only ever seems motivated to leave when he finds out he is being watched or followed."

"So what do you think his next move will be" Agnar asked to anyone with a theory.

"Well I think he'll head for one of those other little dots on his map" Sigrid proposed "and try landing there for the night, but what he does after that is anyone's guess."

"Believe it or not, I was quite happy to let him stay here for the night" Hiccup was furious with himself deep inside.

"Even after he threatened Odd down on the beach?" Sigrid asked puzzled.

"No, not then. I was ready to let Toothless fire on him as soon as he went too far, but when Odd managed talk them into putting away their swords, I thought Nainn had finally come to his senses. But then he sneaks up to Odds camp and threatens him and Astrid; I'm really starting to hate this guy."

"Don't eat yourself up lad" Agnar stopped Hiccups rant "you can't be everywhere at once and you did give them the help they needed from the Sharktooth..."

"But he could have..."

"Yes he could have done anything, but he didn't get a chance to. Odd and Astrid kept him busy and everyone did what you told 'em..."

"That's just it; I told them the wrong thing..."

"That's not true" Sigrid almost shouted but kept her cool "you made the best choice based on the information and evidence you had; and then you quickly changed direction when the situation changed. I know you don't want to hear this now, but you acted just like your father would have, if he had been here."

"He even used to second guess himself afterwards too" Olaf added "so stop trying to be perfect... even I can't do it... always."

"So now we have to work out our next move and I can't even begin to think about what we should do next" Hiccup resigned himself.

"Well we don't have to come up with anything straight away" Helga suggested "so why don't we all think about if over dinner and discuss it afterwards."

As if on cue, Astrid appeared carrying a large tray with six plates of cooked fish on them.

"Hey everyone" she smiled sweetly "Odd and Freya have gotten everyone else happily eating around the fire so now it's time for the Trio Island brains trust to take a meal break."

"Why did Odd call this place Trio Island?" Agnar asked "it seems like an odd name... no pun intended."

"He panicked" Astrid replied as she handed out the plates "he had to come up with a name quickly and the first thing he thought of was Trio, because of the three islands that make up this place."

"Well I don't like it" Helga huffed "I'll think of something better if it kills me."

Astrid sat down next to Hiccup and handed him one of the last two plates.

"I don't know how you do it" he remarked as he looked down at his dinner; next to the beautifully cooked fish, was a single fried egg.

Hiccup ate in silence for the next ten minutes until Astrid could take it no more.

"Haddock for your thought" she smiled playfully.

"Why did my father put me in charge of everyone Astrid?"

"Because he trusts you, we all do" she leant in close and whispered "especially me."

"But my wrong decisions almost got you killed... again."

"Here we go again" the young lady sighed "Hiccup, up until a year ago, your dad spent all his time as chief during the dragon war and a lot of people were lost, including your own mother. But he did his best to keep as many of us safe as he could and no one expects any more from you. It's not your fault that Nainn is such a pain in the saddle."

Hiccup opened his mouth to object but Astrid interrupted.

"And before you tell me you can't cope with it... I understand... because I couldn't do what you're doing alone, so how could I expect you to? But your dad doesn't do it 'alone' he has helpers and advisors... and so do you.

Hiccup began to calm down a little.

"I've watched you" she continued "you listen... you think... and you decide... and that is why I trust you and besides... right now you've got me to talk things over with... but who has your dad got?"

"Gobber" He stated.

"Exactly; so you know you've already got a better chance than your dad. Hey... what's that noise... is that a..."

But before she could finish her sentence, a heavy Gronckle with a heavy load almost landed on top of them.

"Oh boy; am I glad to see you guys."

"Fishlegs!" Hiccup said with a start as he tried to keep the rising cloud of sand off his meal.

"What are you doing here?" Astrid gasped, but the boy on the Gronckle had other things on his mind.

"Is there any more of that grilled fish left" Fishlegs asked expectantly as he dropped down from Meatlug's back.

It had been a long and stressful flight for Fishlegs and so he was relieved to be sitting among friends and enjoying a good meal.

"So... mmmm... this is good fish... your father... has had another chat with the prisoners" Fishlegs said between mouthfuls "and he asks them... about (gulp) Bolthorn."

"So what about it lad?" Ack asked as all the Vikings leant in close to listen.

"Well it's not an island or a village like Berk, it's a castle."

This brought a stunned silence from everyone as they began to look at each other to see if anybody would say 'Oh... a castle' but nobody did."

"Alright then" Tuffnut said at last "I'll ask; what's a castle?"

"Apparently it's like a stone fort with walls over seventy feet high and twelve feet thick at the base. It has heavy iron drop gates and huge doors hinged at the bottom that can be lifted up to seal the building and... get this... our whole village could fit inside it."

The Vikings sat quietly for a while till Agnar spoke.

"So these lands on Nainn's map, does this King Rekkur rule over the whole place completely?"

"No; the country where Bolthorn stands is only one of many and apparently there are other castles all over the land. The rulers of each country either fight each other, join together to fight someone else or just ignore one another. It's probably more complicated than that, but that's how Hak understands it all."

"I would love to have a look at one of these castles" Ack smiled excitedly.

"You and me both" Helga agreed "I'm hoping we'll get close enough to see one in the next six days."

"Ah... that's the other thing" Fishlegs grinned sheepishly "Stoick has sent new orders for Olaf."

"What new orders lad?" Olaf was concerned his adventure was over.

"Hak tells us the Bolthorn is near to the coast, so King Rekkur has a fleet of ships he calls his Royal Navy and there are more than fifteen of them."

"Hmmph" Helga was not impressed "we had more than twenty."

"But his are bigger and we only have one now" Fishlegs pointed out "according to Hak, Nainn's ship is the smallest in the fleet so Chief Stoick says you should not sail any further than the last island on the old Berk map marked 'No dragons here' because it may be three days from Berk by ship but the Dragon Riders could cover the distance in less than a day."

"Ahh yes; the perfect place to set up an early warning post if this Bolthorn Royal Navy sails by, bound for Berk" Sigrid was beginning to understand Stoicks thinking.

"Exactly" Fishlegs agreed "that's precisely what he wants us to do there."

Hiccup was still feeling very nervous, but was also excited as he too hoped to see a castle someday soon; as well as one of these big ships.

"Right then" he stood and addressed the Vikings "Let's get some sleep and we'll reload just a small amount of the building supplies back onto the Sharktooth in the morning. Odd and I will take first watch."

"Goodnight then" Astrid squeezed his hand and gave him a trusting smile as she went off to settle down with Stormfly.

"I'm not surprised that your worried lad" Odd put his hand on Hiccups shoulder as he stared into the darkness "this guy is proving to be a handful."

"I don't think I'll ever trust anyone from Bolthorn Odd; they're just... evil."

"Hold on to your dragons lad... you haven't met them all yet."

**Do you want to have new experiences, explore foreign lands, taste exotic foods and rot in mouldy dungeons? Then book yourself onto G&amp;O's (Gobber and Olaf) new voyage to Elydonia on the beautiful cruise ship The Queen Sharktooth II and experience everything that Bolthorn Castle has to offer (like it or not).**


	14. Chapter 14

14 Going for Broke

A cold breeze of fair strength blew down from the north, giving the Dragon Riders help in the form of a tail wind the following day. Behind them, the Sharktooth followed under full sail and maximum Gronkle power, thanks to the addition of Fishlegs and Meatlug. Olaf steered a more southerly course hoping to both overtake and avoid Prince Nainn's ship, as well as knock a full days sailing off the journey to the island formerly known as No Dragons Here, but soon to be known as Lookout Island.

"There's another large island in the area about ten minutes ahead" Hiccup shouted to Sigrid "so take three dragons down and check it out while I take the other two on to Lookout Island to pick a spot for us."

"You got it" she replied and called out to those around her "Snotlout, Astrid and Freya; fall in behind me and..."

"WAIT..." Hiccup called out suddenly.

Sigrid looked at him with a slight smile and a look of understanding, as she waited for his next word. She knew Hiccup was still worried about letting Astrid out of his sight after yesterday, but she also knew that he could not let his feelings get in the way.

"Good luck" he said as he took a deep breath "and we'll see you when you catch up with us later on."

Four dragons peeled off to the right as the other three continued on their way, high and fast.

"Okay guys" Hiccup called out "the only ship I'd expect to see today is Nainns, but keep a close eye out for anyone else. Ruff and Tuff, you guys look to the right and Odd can keep an eye out to the left while I look out ahead. Let me know as soon as you spot Nainn; we don't want to lose him if he decides to change direction."

A few minutes later, Sigrids group touched down. It was a much bigger island; over twice the size of Trio Island, where the Dragon Riders had slept on the previous night. It was more wedge shaped, with a small snow cap on the southern peak and a river winding through the centre to the northern shore. Hiccup noticed Nainns ship was nowhere to be seen around the coast, so he experienced a feeling of great relief in knowing that Astrid would not be threatened by that arrogant mad man today.

Sigrid noticed a large clearing about a half a mile east of the river and a mile upstream; it was a perfect place to set the dragons down. As she took in the lay of the land, she breathed a sigh of relief that Hiccup had not countermanded her decision. It was plain to see he had not wanted her to take Astrid, but she also knew it was for all the wrong reasons. And so Sigrid was pleased he had come to his senses before he had made a fool of himself. His concern for Astrid was admirable, but Sigrid knew he could not let it affect the decisions that he made.

"Okay then Freya" she decided "you and Snotlout watch the dragons while Astrid and I check out the river mouth for signs of our friends from Bolthorn."

"Surely you don't think they're here" Snotlout asked confused "we didn't see the ship."

"No Snotlout I don't; but I want to be able to give a full report to Hiccup about what Nainn was up to if he were here last night or a few days ago."

Snotlout was really enjoying this trip and for so many reasons; firstly he had satisfied his desire to get away from Berk. He also felt pleased that he had been chosen to go, from among the many expert warriors and Dragon Riders by none other than Hiccup himself, whom Snotlout still saw as a kind of rival despite his respect for the boy as future chief; although he would never admit that to anyone. On top of all this, he was now learning new strategies in dealing with a human foe. Skills like those had been sadly lacking in his experience, due to the dragons being the only historical enemies of Berk. Prince Nainn was proving to be far more unpredictable, than any dragon ever was.

"Can I ask you a question Sigrid?" Astrid enquired as they strolled through the thick forest.

"You just did."

"Oh... very funny" Astrid replied sarcastically "but seriously, did you choose me to come with you just to get on Hiccups nerves?"

"No... I chose you because of your tracking skills and that is why you're here now and not minding the dragons, but considering the way he reacted, I'm glad I did because he needed it."

"It's odd really..."

"Where?"

"Not Odd, odd as in strange how Hiccup seems to have no trouble trusting me with dangerous tasks, but only if he's close by."

"It's not so strange if you think about it. From the stories you've told me about the first days of Gobbers dragon training, I understand that was first time you and he were ever in any real danger. Then came your trip to Dragon Island when Toothless introduced you both to the Red Death; both times he was with you and it was also about that time when you and he really connected for the first time."

"Yes but..." Astrid interjected.

"No buts, just listen. When the Red Death nearly swallowed you during the 'Battle of Dragon Island', Hiccup was there to help you. And when Nainn first caught you on the beach, Hiccup was there to distract him while you made your escape; but yesterday for the first time ever, he could not see what was going on. Yes he was close by, but he didn't know what had happened to you and not knowing was what frightened him."

"But I don't understand why it frightened him; he knew I was with Odd and he is very aware of my skills..."

"The problem, my dear is this; you are thinking of the Hiccup we all know and love today. Chief in training Hiccup, brilliant inventor Hiccup and Dragon Master Hiccup; but deep inside him is fourteen long years of clumsy Hiccup, people angry with Hiccup, friends laughing at Hiccup, Stoick disappointed with Hiccup. So when he lost all awareness of your situation yesterday, it was that insecure Hiccup who came to the surface."

"Wow" was all Astrid could come up with "you've really given this a lot of thought."

"And don't forget Astrid, you were the first one to believe in him... days before Stoick did."

As Astrid considered Sigrids words she began to notice some signs on the ground and in the undergrowth; signs that others had been there before her, but before she could point them out to Sigrid, she also noticed the smell and a split second later, all went black.

"I can't see any thing down there but water, water and more water Toothless, can you?"

"Hurruummph" was the Night Fury's only comment as they glided high over the ocean.

Odd guided Windrunner alongside Toothless to pass on his report to Hiccup.

"Even if Nainn had sailed all night, we should have seen him by now. He must have changed course and gone due south... or even back north."

"The only other thing he could have done was to turn back towards Berk overnight unless he..."

Hiccup turned white as the unthinkable occurred to him.

"Get the twins; we're going back to that last island."

Without awaiting a reply from Odd, Hiccup put Toothless into a sharp dive turn and headed back the way they had come so fast that the other dragons had no hope of keeping up.

As Toothless sped back to the island where Sigrid had led her scouting crew, Hiccup kept a close eye on the water below. For mile after mile he scanned the surface of the ocean until, with great relief, he finally spotted Nainn's ship. After taking careful note of its position and heading he continued on until the island came into view."

"Okay Bud… where could Nainn have hidden a ship down there?" he asked Toothless rhetorically.

The dragon and his rider circled the island from high above while looking closely at every bay and inlet, when Hiccup noticed something strange about the river. He could see the fast white water flowing down from the southern peak, as well as the wide mouth flowing out into the northern bay, but a large part of the middle appeared to be nothing but forest.

"No doubt about it Toothless; if the ship was amongst the tree canopy we would not have seen it from cloud level."

The pair circled around once more and came in to land in the clearing where Snotlout and Freya were taking care of Stormfly and three Nightmares.

"I'm glad to see you're all here" Hiccup started "wait… where are Sigrid and Astrid?"

"They left us here to mind the dragons" Snotlout informed him "while they took a walk down to the river to look for signs of Nainn. Why; is something wrong?"

"Maybe Snotlout; have they been gone long?"

"Just over an hour I'd say."

"And I'd guess it would have taken Nainn under an hour to sail out to where I just saw him so that means…" panic was beginning to rise up inside Hiccup.

"He was here all along" Freya concluded.

"Exactly" Hiccup was very worried now "Quickly; you two head down to the river on foot and I'll fly Toothless along the river and see if I can spot Astrid and Sigrid from there."

The dragons were already sitting around a hot rock fireplace, so Snotlout and Freya ordered them to stay put as they ran off into the woods. In less than a minute, Toothless and Hiccup were flying slowly under the tree branches that camouflaged much of the river while calling out to the missing Vikings, but he heard no reply. Hiccup soon noticed a place on the river bank in the dappled light where a large group of men had obviously gone ashore recently.

"Stay here Toothless" Hiccup ordered the dragon after they had set down in the same spot.

The trees near the river were so thick with many shrubs and bushes, making it almost impossible for a creature the size of a dragon to move freely through. Hiccup followed the obvious trail left by the men from Bolthorn until he met up with Freya and Snotlout coming the other way.

"No sign of them" Freya reported "but we just passed a spot where all the signs of this trail come to an end so that may be where they were taken."

"Taken?" Hiccup panicked "he may have KILLED them."

"Calm down Hiccup" Freya grabbed his shoulders "if they were dead, he would not have taken the bodies and besides, you know how much Nainn likes to gloat."

"I hope you're right Freya. Okay then; get back to the dragons and let's get going."

Freya and Snotlout ran back up the hill where they found Odd and the twins standing by the dragons looking slightly confused.

"What is going on around here" Odd called out as they approached "Hiccup tells us to get back here as soon as we can, but he doesn't say..."

"We think Astrid and Sigrid have been kidnapped" Snotlout interrupted him.

"Mount up" Freya added "we're off to track down Nainn's ship.

Although he desperately wanted to rush on ahead, this time Hiccup waited for the others as they rose up from the island. Stormfly and Skywolf flew along riderless in search of their missing pet Vikings.

"If Nainn has done anything bad to them..." Snotlout began.

"Then we blow him out of the water" Hiccup angrily finished the sentence to the agreement of all the others.

**Will the Dragon Riders find Astrid and Sigrid or will they end up as pictures on the side of a carton of Yak's Milk? All will be revealed, as soon as I can figure it out too.**


	15. Chapter 15

15 Our Girl in Bolthorn

Astrids head throbbed and her mind spun as her eyes began to focus, but where was she? This room did not look familiar at all, although the aroma was. She kept her head down and pretended to be still unconscious while her senses continued to sharpen. As the seconds pasted she noticed there were people around her, she was tied to a chair, as was Sigrid who sat opposite her, and the floor rocked slightly.

'Oh no' she thought 'we're on Nainns ship. Now then; who should I pretend to be this time around?'

She made the decision to play the helpless young girl to try and lull Nainn into doing something he would regret later; untying her.

"Mommy... are you there Mommy" she did her best to sound as pathetic as possible.

"So... we meet again" a familiar voice came from a dark corner in the dark hold of the dark ship.

"Who's there? I can't see you" Astrid was quite proud of the sound of tiny frail tears she had managed to put into her voice.

Sigrid began to come around as Nainn stepped forward into a small patch of light that shone through the half open hatch in the deck. She kept still and quiet as she listened to the conversation near her.

"Who are you?" Astrid tried to sound as confused and frightened as possible, when she stared at the face before her.

"I must have hit her harder than I thought; don't you recognize me girl?" it was Nainns turned to be confused.

Astrid squinted and turned her head slightly as she peered at the Prince of Bolthorn.

"No... I don't think we've ever met before."

Sigrid began to bite her own tongue, just to keep herself from giggling.

"Wait a minute" Nainn enquired "are you Estrid or Astrid?"

"Neither; I'm their sister."

"You're TRIPLETS?" Nainn was truly astounded.

"Quintuplets actually."

"THERE ARE FIVE OF YOU?"

No matter how hard she tried, Sigrid could not hold it in any longer.

"HA... Heh... ho... hum... err... what happened? Where am I?" she covered beautifully by pretending to awaken with a start.

"Mommy your awake... we've been taken prisoner by someone who knows Estrid and Astrid."

"So then" Nainn considered the situation that was being presented to him "what's your name girl?"

"I'm Istrid" Astrid gave a coy smile "the pretty one."

"Wait a moment" Nainn turned sharply "your sister Estrid said she was the pretty one."

"Oh no sir, she's the funny one. Ha... Estrid calling herself the pretty one; that's just the kind of thing she would say."

"So which one of you is Stoicks future daughter?" Nainn asked.

"That would be Astrid... the modest one" Astrid replied.

"Really?" Sigrid smile was wider than Odd's had been.

"Put a sock in it Mother" Astrid mumbled out of the corner of her mouth.

"So who are you sir; our brave, hansom and err... aromatic captor?" Sigrid asked what she already knew.

"I am Prince Nainn; son of King Rekkur of Bolthorn" he puffed out his chest proudly.

"Ooo... did you hear that mother? A real prince. It's such a shame I'm already betrothed to a young man back home on Berk."

"Ah yes" Sigrid grinned "that would be young Lord Snotlout would it not?"

"If I wasn't tied up... mother" Astrid sneered through gritted teeth "you'd pay for that."

From the deck of the ship, the little black dots silhouetted against the clouds looked just like birds soaring several hundred feet above except that these little birdies were much further away, much bigger and very reptilian.

"What do you want to do Hiccup" Tuffnut asked "blow 'em out of the water?"

"Oh yes I certainly do" he replied "but we're not going to."

"Why on earth not?" Snotlout agreed with Tuffnut.

"Many reasons, but the most important one is that Astrid and Sigrid may be caged or chained in the hold so if we sink the ship…"

"Oh yeah" Snotlout realized "it makes our rescue attempt a rather short and total failure."

"Exactly; so does anyone have any suggestions?" Hiccup asked.

"Well, we don't let them out of our sight for a start, obviously" Freya pointed out.

"No argument here; anyone else?"

"Someone should go and tell Olaf to intercept Nainn's ship with the Sharktooth" Odd offered.

"Brilliant idea" Hiccup agreed "Snotlout and Freya can…"

"If you don't mind Hiccup" Snotlout interrupted "I would rather stay here if I may."

"Understood. Ruff and Tuff, you guys go with Freya and find the Sharktooth; tell Olaf that we will be flying directly over Nainn's ship so he can get a bearing and tell him to steer a course around in front of him."

"You got it" Tuffnut replied as Freya and Cuddles led Barf and Belch off to the south.

Hiccup fetched his telescope from his satchel and looked down onto the deck of the ship below him.

"If only it wasn't the middle of the day" he said frustrated "I could fly Toothless down alongside the ship."

"These ropes are so uncomfortable" Astrid moaned using a very childish voice "can't you untie us… please Prince Nainn."

She wasn't sure if the pleading eyes would work on Nainn; they didn't work on Hiccup anymore but this guy was far more vain than Snotlout and a whole Weyr of Deadly Nadders put together.

"I'm afraid not my dear; I don't want you two trying to escape now, do I?"

"Escape?" Sigrid pretended to be shocked "But sir, where would we go in the middle of the ocean?"

"What do you think Captain?" Nainn enquired.

Captain You There was pleased that Nainn at least knew his rank and title, now if only the prince could bother to learn his real name. The captain was also quite aware that although Nainn had asked for his opinion, he would almost certainly do the complete opposite. Thinking of how upset Nainn would be if the women did escape, (and the Captain liked it when Nainn was upset) he came to his decision.

"I think they're far too dangerous Milord and we should even put them in manacles just to be safe."

"Your fear and cowardice astound me Captain; what can two unarmed women do to a ship full of armed men, miles from the nearest land?"

'Just you give me a chance and you'll find out' Sigrid thought to herself.

"We do promise to be oh so good sir" Astrid smiled sweetly.

"YOU TWO" Nainn bellowed to Toki and Farg.

"SIR!" they both saluted.

"Untie these two and stay near to them at all times and if they do anything wrong… kill them."

"Yes sir" the sailors got to work on the ropes as Nain stood proudly with his arms folded high across his chest.

The warriors of Berk rubbed their wrists where the ropes had marked them, glad to be out of the ships hold and out in the open air. Astrid walked slowly around the deck pretending to be totally innocent while gathering as much information as she could about the ship and its crew. Sigrid had noticed the dots in the sky behind them so she tried hard not to stare, but when she noticed a glint of reflected sunlight, she knew she had to get Astrids attention.

"Istrid dear" she called out "don't wander too far."

Knowing that Sigrid would not interrupt her clandestine activities without a good reason, Astrid made her way casually toward the stern where her pseudo mother stood with Toki.

"It nice of Prince Nainn to let us out on deck where we can enjoy the sea air and see the… soaring birds" Sigrid moved her eyes up but not her head.

"Yes mother; very nice indeed" Astrid got the message.

Astrid went to the railing and began to slowly clasp her hands under her chin. After a few seconds she moved her hands a few inches away from her neck with the palms out and thumbs linked together. After repeating these hand movements a few times, she moved back to Sigrid hoping her message had been received.  
-

Hiccup had been watching the ship through his telescope for only a short time, but it had felt like an absolute eternity before the two women had finally appeared safely on deck. He watched closely as they moved around the ship, each one shadowed everywhere she went by an armed sailor. Sigrid appeared to notice the Dragon Riders and was soon talking to Astrid who then made her way to the side of the ship.

"She's sending us a message" Hiccup called out to the other riders.

"What's she saying" Snotlout pricked up his ears while everyone was craning their necks to hear.

"Safe… wait… safe… wait… safe; that must be the entire message."

"Well we know they're safe at least" Odd was almost as relieved as Hiccup.

"Okay then so she wants us to wait; I need someone to go and tell Olaf not to make a move on Nainn yet" Hiccup requested "just to keep in front of him."

"I'll go if you want" Snotlout volunteered "now that we know she… I mean they… are safe."

"Thanks Snotlout; let Olaf know we will send word if we need him to attack.

Hookfang banked off to the south as Hiccup went back to scanning Nainn's ship for any more signals from Astrid and Sigrid.

'I'm glad she thinks she's safe' he thought to himself 'I just wish I felt as confident.

**If you would like to book 'The Five Hofferson Sisters' to perform at your next party then just contact Colonel Gobber at the Berk Talent and Booking Agency at least four weeks before your next function. (Please note that Ruffnut Thorston will no longer be performing her famous 'Sawing My Brother in Half' trick due to an unfortunate accident).**


	16. Chapter 16

16 Yak Milk - Shaken not Stirred

"So then" Astrid asked her guard as she leant back on the railing "what's your name?"

"Farg miss; Farg Ponomon."

"Well Farg, is it okay if I ask you some questions please?"

"I suppose dat would be alright miss; as long as you don't asks me anyfink that should be a secret."

"Oh no, I was just wondering where we were headed. Is that a secret Farg?" she smiled innocently "I mean Prince Nainn already told us he was from Bolthorn so I assume we are going straight there; is that right?"

Farg was relieved to hear her say these things as he felt much more confident talking about what she already knew

"Not really miss because Bolthorn is still several days away and although Prince Nainn is a fine leader, he don't sleep to well on a moving ship so we will probably put ashore on an island this afternoon or this evening and he'll go ashore for the night. Assuming there are no Berkians there of course."

'Oh I rather think there shall be' she thought to herself.

"Thank you Farg, you're very sweet."

"Thank you miss" he bowed his head politely. This girl may look a tough as her sister but she was definitely Fargs favourite one so far, as she was so polite.

Astrid knew she now had more than enough information to use for her escape plan, so she wandered back toward the stern of the ship to send out another message to Hiccup but before she could get there, Nainn ambushed her.

"Good day Istrid; would you like to join me for some luncheon my dear?"

"Oh hello Prince Nainn, you did surprise me. If you will excuse me sir, I try to avoid taking food on a moving ship; it doesn't agree with me" she put her hand on her stomach and tried to look a little nauseated "but I would love to eat with you when we put ashore later."

This seemed to upset the prince greatly "Who told you we would be going ashore today?" he asked suspiciously.

Astrid had not anticipated this reaction from Nainn and she had to think fast because she certainly had no desire to get Farg Ponomon into trouble. This was partly because she may need more information from him later, but mostly because she genuinely liked the man. Maybe she could play to Nainns sympathies, if he had any, and make him see her as a kindred spirit.

"Merely wishful thinking on my behalf sir, for although I do travel by ship a lot, it doesn't agree with me at all."

'That should work' Astrid thought but she was wrong.

"I very sorry my dear" Nainn said in voice that indicated that he wasn't sorry at all "but even if I do go ashore later, you and your mother will be remaining here."

"I understand sir" she replied pleasantly while thinking 'You just try and stop us'.

Astrid was now glad that she and Nainn had talked before she had signalled Hiccup, for now she could pass on the right message. The various signs and signals that Astrid and Hiccup were using to communicate were still in the developmental stage but between them, they had come up with many signs that could be used either at close range or over a great distance. Many of them could also be employed to give silent orders to a well trained dragon, but the problem that now faced Astrid was how to use the signals in a way that Hiccup could see them but her guards would not. Using her best I'm-just-going-for-a-stroll gate, she moved to the stern of the ship and leant on the railing to begin her secret task.

"She's sending another signal" Hiccup informed his fellow riders.

Freya and the twins had returned from their trip to the Sharktooth so Snotlout was the only one still missing from the group.

"What's she saying lad?" Odd asked.

"The first sign is... land so she must mean the next island and... uh-oh... there's trouble on the deck."

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Nainn yelled "YOU THERE; STOP HER!"

Farg grabbed Astrids left arm and spun her around as Nainn stormed up to her. All the men on deck, sailors and guards alike, drew their weapons and advanced on the innocent looking blonde girl.

"Sorry about this" Toki whispered to Sigrid at he held her at knife point.

"What's wrong sir?" Astrid pretended to be dumbfounded "Have I done something wrong?"

"DON'T PLAY DUMB WITH ME GIRL" he screamed in her face "I KNOW HAND SIGNS WHEN I SEE THEM. YOU WERE SIGNALING SOMEONE."

"Who sir?" Farg enquired as he looked out over the ocean "There's no one out there."

"SHUT UP" Nainn hit Farg hard across the face and turned back to Astrid with menace in his eyes.

"Admit it girl... those were hand signs."

"Yes sir" Astrid pleaded "I was just practicing my dancing."

This really took Nainn aback; he did not expect the girl to admit to the signs so quickly and he never would have guessed that she would make the excuse that she did.

"Dancing... what are you talking about?"

"Well sir... when my sister is wed to the son of Chief Stoick, my other sisters and I will perform a very special dance as a part of the ceremony and as she is the first one in our family to marry, we have never done this dance before and... well... I need all the practice I can get."  
-

"I don't believe this... I just don't believe it" Hiccup was finding it hard to believe.

"What's happening?" Ruffnut asked on the edge of her saddle.

"Astrid... she's... she's..."

"WHAT?" all the riders yelled.

"Dancing."

"Well she is pretty good at it" Snotlout remarked casually.

"Hey... when did you get back?" said Tuffnut in surprise.

"Just now... so what's happened?"

"Nainn caught Astrid trying to signal us and now Hiccup says she's dancing with him." Tuffnut still talked about the whole thing as if it were nothing more than a game

"Well... not exactly with him" Hiccup informed them.

Down on the deck, Astrid had half the crew of the ship and several guards sitting and standing in front of her as she twirled and leapt about the stern while explaining the meaning of her movements to Nainn while Sigrid looked on amazed.

"The bride is saying to her groom; Travel to the island that is my home and bring with you your entire clan" she bent down and jumped back in a half turn "but you will not find me there my love for I will be hiding away"

Hiccup peered at the performance through his telescope with fascination _"Astrid wants us to go on to the next island... both the Dragon Riders and the Sharktooth crew... but she will be on the ship."_

"You must show your bravery and your love" she bent her knees and lowered herself while covering her face "by performing a mighty deed for me."

"_Enemy... she must mean Nainn... Trap... she wants us to set an ambush for Nainn."_

"And when you have completed the task I have set for you" she bounced across the deck "we can be together once more; but stay far from me until we meet under the moons pale light."

"_Then she and Sigrid will find a way to escape from the ship... but we should only go to them if they have not appeared on the island by an hour after nightfall."_

Having completed her message, Astrid bowed to the cheers of her adoring audience.

"Wonderful performance my dear" Nainn said, but even while giving her praise, Astrid could hear the arrogance in his voice.

"Thank you sir" she curtsied only a little out of breath.

"It's such a pity that you won't be performing it at your sister's wedding, for you will be in Bolthorn" it was uncanny how his smile reminded Astrid of Snotlout.

"You and your mother will serve as slaves in the kitchens of MY father, King Rekkur. He is always looking for new cooks and chefs for they don't tend to last long there... if father gets tired of their dishes."

"Well then" Sigrid shrugged "I hope he likes eggs."

**Even if King Rekkur really does like eggs, how would he feel if he knew about Astrid's brief dalliance with incendiary Gronckle eggs during the last Snoggletog season?**


	17. Chapter 17

17 Fancy Meeting You Here

"They'll be approaching from the west so we'll sail the Sharktooth to the eastern side" Olaf thought out loud to Snotlout after hearing about Astrid's message.

"Go faster Fishlegs" Snotlout shouted "we gotta hurry."

"After all this, I don't want to hear you say anything mean about Meatlug again" Fishlegs replied as he, his dragon and the Sharktooth's four Gronckles pulled the ship on as fast as they could. Between the dragons and the sail, Fishlegs was sure that this was a new speed record for a Viking longship.

"Less moaning and more pulling" called Olaf.

"If you want to go faster Olaf" Fishlegs replied "then get that massive red lump off the deck and tell him to take his dragon with him."

"Oh very funny Fishlegs" Snotlout sneered as he climbed onto Hookfang and lifted off the deck.

"I'll see you on the island" he shouted as the Monstrous Nightmare flew off to the east.  
-

Hiccup and Freya had kept watch over Nainn's ship for the last two hours while Odd and the twins had made for the next island. Unlike the last two places they had encountered the Prince of Bolthorn, this one was far less sailor friendly with high cliffs all around. To Odd it looked like a high sided shallow bowl of green. At the lowest part of this strange place, was a thick forest while the high outer edges were nothing but cold and hard rock.

While this island was no trouble for the Dragon Riders, the only place on the entire island to make land from a ship, was on the north eastern side where, as it looked from the air, the bowl had cracked. A long inlet ran into the island and the high cliffs of the coast continued for most of its length. It was over two hundred feet wide at the mouth but two miles in, it had become too narrow for anything wider than a canoe.

Scanning the island from Windrunner's back, Odd soon found the place where Nainn would have put ashore on his journey to the northwest. Almost a mile up the inlet was a place where many years ago, the cliff face had collapsed on both sides creating two small beaches and each one provided a place to land a small boat and easy access to the forest, fifty feet above. Even from the air, Odd could see the place on the western side where people had been before. Nainn's men had cleared and set up a large campsite with the remains of four obvious fireplaces, so Odd came to the conclusion that they must have spent quite some time here – definitely more than one night.

"Follow me down" he called back to the twins.

The dragons set down through a small gap in the trees forty feet back from the camp site.

"One of you stays with the dragons, the other one comes with me" Odd ordered as he wandered into the woods.

Ruffnut and Tuffnut smiled at each other; they both leaned back and then brought their helmets together with a loud clang. On hearing the noise, Odd instantly regretted not simply choosing which one to take with him.

"Come on; let's go" Ruffnut grinned as she rushed past Odd.

"So your brother will watch the dragons then?"

"He will... when he wakes up."

From his high vantage point Hiccup could now see the island on the horizon and he knew it was time to tear himself away from watching Astrid. He guided Toothless over toward Cuddles and handed Freya the telescope.

"I'm heading down to the island; I'll send someone back to join you."

"Don't bother" Freya replied "Cuddles and I will be just fine gliding along and you need everyone down there. Nainns men still outnumber us you know."

"Not if you count the dragons" Hiccup smiled as he called to the other dragons "Stormfly, Skywolf; follow me."

He waved back as Toothless sped on with only a few beats of his mighty wings while being flanked by Astrids Deadly Nadder and Sigrids Monstrous Nightmare. As Hiccup approached the island, he noticed that the Sharktooth had almost arrived on the western side, so he led the dragons on a quick circuit of the coast and then returned to find Olaf standing forward of the mast.

"I've just taken a look around" Hiccup informed Olaf upon landing on the deck "and the best place for you to drop anchor is off the southern cliffs."

"Oh really" Olaf smiled disturbingly "so you're telling me that the best spot for the ship to be sheltered from the northern wind is behind the southern cliffs where the water is calm and the island offers protection? Thank you Hiccup; I don't think I ever could have worked that out by myself."

Hiccup smiled and he turned bright red as Olaf let out a mighty roaring laugh that made Toothless jump back in surprise.

"Sorry Olaf; I guess I'm taking this leadership thing too far."

"Don't worry lad, you're doin' just fine" he held his hand out to Toothless and rubbed the side of the dragons face "and I'm sorry I made you jump dragon; I did nay mean it."

Toothless purred as he pushed back into the Vikings hand.

"I'll leave Stormfly and Skywolf with you then. Join us when you're ready and we'll finish setting up the ambush."

"I'll see you soon then" Olaf bid them fair well as Toothless flew out over the bow.

"Hang in there Fishlegs" Hiccup called back to his friend leading the Gronckle tugs.

Soon after Nainns ship had dropped anchor inside the inlet, Astrid watched from the starboard rail as Nainn and his guards rowed off toward the small beach.

"I'm sorry Toki, but I just don't understand why you all follow a man like that; no offence meant."

"Oh none taken miss; but it's not as if we have any choice and besides, one leader is just as bad as any other."

"Not our leader; Stoick is a wonderful man."

"Well no offence to you either miss; he may be wonderful to you but he did slaughter two of my closest friends."

This made Astrid turn with a start "Do you mean Hak and Gauk? They're not dead; they're still back on the island where we first met them. Lovely blokes they are; friendly, helpful, I even sang the 'Three Lost Yaks' song for them."

"But how could you have met them miss since you weren't there... unless... oh miss; what are you planning to do?"

The ambush was all set. Hiccup and Freya watched the three small boats from the cliff edge half a mile along the inlet above Nainns ship.

"They've almost reached the landing place Freya so we better get ready to head off."

"Wait a minute" she stopped him and handed over the telescope "look down at the ship; I think Astrids trying to tell you something."

Hiccup snatched the spyglass, worried that something may have happened to her but to his surprise she stood on the deck completely alone; all the sailors were gone and she was signalling Hiccup to come down to the ship quickly. He thought about it for half of a second and called out to Freya.

"Get to the dragons; fast."

In less than a minute there was a Nightmare and a Night Fury on the stern of Nainns ship as Astrid ran into Hiccups arms.

"It's so good to see you're safe" he breathed a sigh of relief "what happened to all the sailors; did you capture them?"

"No of course not, but we haven't got much time; you've got to stop the ambush."

"WHAT? You can't be serious."

She looked deep into his eyes "Do you trust me?"

Another half second passed and then Hiccup turned back to Freya.

"Go stop the ambush and pull everyone back to the edge of the tree line on the south side of the island. I'll join you as soon as I know what's going on."

"If you're sure Hiccup" and the ship lurched as Cuddles pushed off the deck.

"Now then; what IS going on here."

"Come with me and keep an open mind."

Astrid took his hand and led him to the forward deck; she knocked twice onto the hatch cover. As it slid back, Hiccup peered down into the hold where Sigrid stood with sixteen men – sixteen unarmed men.

"They trusted me to do this... and I told them they can trust you too."


	18. Chapter 18

18 Not Exactly the Love Boat

Hiccup followed Astrid down into the hold and was greeted by the most well dressed and impressive looking man in the group.

"Good evening young sir... I am Captain Thorn; Joric Thorn" the tall thin man held out his hand.

"Hiccup sir" the boy took the offered hand as a few men snickered at the boy's name.

"QUIET!" the captain shouted and they all snapped to attention.

"Toki; did Astrid tell him anything?"

"No Captain; I listened from the stern below deck... and I heard some very strange sounds... but she told him nothing."

Hiccup look at Astrid confused but she just squeezed his hand and smiled.

"Well then" the Captain addressed Hiccup once more "if you would... please relate to me everything you know about the two men we left back on the island where Prince Nainn first encountered you."

Hiccup was still very confused, but it seemed important to Captain Thorn; and Astrid was very eager for him to answer.

"Let me see then... their names are Gauk and Hak... Hak looks a little like Toki here but with darker hair and a beard...Gauk is a bit rounder and has a nose that looks like a medium sized garlic. They said that they were the sailors chosen to row the two boats with Nainn and his men on to the island. They were left behind because I destroyed one of the boats. Hak likes his teeth... they both hate Yak jerky... they like Astrids dancing, but aren't too fond of her singing."

"HEY!" Astrid punched Hiccups shoulder.

"Are they still alive?" Thorn asked impressed with the boy's honesty about destroying the row boat.

"Oh yes; we were going to send them back to you with a warning message for Nainn but... well... they didn't want to go; so we let them stay."

"Why do you think they wanted to stay lad?"

"I don't think Captain, I know; it was because even though my father was furious with them, because they were amongst the men who had threatened his people, he had not harmed them at all. They knew that they would receive no such mercy from Nainn and what's more, they could see that my father's people did not fear him as everyone here... fears Nainn."

Captain Thorn looked into Hiccups eyes as he considered the answers he had been given and after a full minute had passed in silence, he spoke.

"If you are willing to listen, I have a very great request to make of you."

Hiccup looked over to Astrid who nodded while still grinning.

"Alright; I'm listening."

The Dragon Riders and the crew of the Sharktooth sat, stood and walked shivering in the cold night air while they awaited news of Nainn and Hiccup.

"If we can't light a fire, can I at least set my dragon alight? I'm freezing here."

"Sorry Snotlout" Freya put her foot down "but not until Odd gets back with his report."

Fortunately for Snotlout, aerial surveys by dragon do not take very long so when Odd and Windrunner landed a few minutes later he just could not hide his enthusiasm.

"Well... well... can we light 'em up?"

"Go ahead Snotlout before you get any bluer" Odd laughed "it is cold here though."

"What's the good news then" Helga asked as Hookfang heated up Snotlout's rock pile.

"To be honest, I'm not really sure what's good news and what isn't, but Nainn and his men have set themselves up in the same spot they camped on their journey out and they're over five miles away from us here so we probably won't see or hear anymore out of them till morning."

"What about Hiccup; is he still on the ship?"

"When I flew over, Astrid was sitting with Toothless so I set down on the stern. She tells me that Hiccup and Sigrid are in... negotiations."

"Negoseewhat?" Ack enquired confused.

"They're having a chat; now shut up and listen."

"sorry"

"They been talking for over an hour and they may be talking till sunrise; so Astrid says we should all get as much rest as we can; tomorrow may be a busy day."

"That's good enough for me" Olaf declared as he unrolled his sleeping pack "Wake me when it's my turn to keep watch" and to everyones amazement, he was snoring in less than a minute.

"Welcome to Life onboard the Sharktooth" Helga informed the Dragon Riders "He's like this onboard ship too."

The next morning Hiccup and Captain Thorn had finally come to an agreement and as per that agreement, Thorn was the only one to leave the hold with Hiccup and Sigrid. Astrid stood up as the three approached the stern of the ship.

"Captain Joric Thorn" Hiccup announced "may I present the Night Fury dragon known as Toothless."

Thorn could feel a lump in his throat as the beast took a step toward him and he swallowed hard.

"Remember what I told you" Hiccup advised.

As his hand went out, Thorn could not help but glance at Hiccups left leg and he began to wonder if his hand would also soon be made out of metal. Toothless sniffed the end of the fingers in front of him and looked to his friend for guidance. Hiccup smiled back at Toothless and nodded so the dragon moved forward.

"Ha... whoa..." the Captain was a little shocked "its skin is very rough... oh my... I have never dreamt a lizard could grow this big."

"You should see Stormfly" Astrid said proudly.

"You should have seen Buttercup" Sigrid corrected her.

"Now he was a dragon and a half alright" Astrid agreed.

"I'm just glad you never had to see the Red Death" Hiccup put forward and the other two nodded in agreement.

"Captain Thorn; when I first met Nainn, I didn't attack him with my dragon because I didn't want to use Toothless to intimidate him. I only wanted to show him that we were no threat to any of you; but now after getting to know him more, I believe it is important that we try to keep dragons away from Nainn because of his apparent lust for power."

"We certainly have nothing like this at home except in books and legends and I agree that it would be a disaster for our land if the waring kings rode creatures like these instead of horses. So then; as we've agreed, my life is now in your hands and I swear that no harm will come to Sigrid and Astrid as long as I, or any of the sailors aboard this ship, still draw breath."

"And I will hold you to that sir" Hiccup was not smiling anymore.

Sigrid could see a certain look in Astrid's eyes and decided the time had come.

"Well then Captain... let's go and tell your men the good news" and she took his arm and led him back to the hold as the sky turned from black to the darkest grey giving the first sign that the night would soon be over.

"I can't believe we're doing this" Hiccup sighed as he squeezed Astrid's hands "my dad is gonna kill me... and your mother... she'll kill whatever Dad doesn't."

"Don't worry Hiccup... although I know you will anyway. Now go before it gets too light."

She turned to go but he held her wrist and pulled her straight back. Fifteen seconds later Toothless and Hiccup lifted off from the stern of the ship as Astrid straightened the hair on the back of her head.

"Whew" she said to herself "one good leg... two great lips."

She turned to head back to Sigrid and tripped over her own ankle.

"I'm gonna murder that boy" she remarked as she picked herself up off the deck.

The sky was slowly turning a slightly lighter grey so Hiccup decided he had better not to risk flying over the island but he instead took a route around the cliffs to the south side before gaining a little altitude and landing near the peacefully sleeping dragons and their riders. Toothless curled up next to Stormfly as Agnar approached Hiccup.

"So then Agnar, you scored the dawn watch then."

"That's right Hiccup so... umm... where are Astrid and Sigrid?"

"On their way to Bolthorn... well... they soon will be anyway" he remarked as he lay down to pretend he was going to get some much needed rest, but sleep was not going to come easily.

"Bolthorn?" Agnar scratched the side of his head "Stoicks gonna explode when he hears this."

**Hello - Act III is coming along well and I still hope to have the next chapter up before the 26th of September. Thank again for reading and please let me know your thoughts. Marty.**


	19. Chapter 19

How To Deal With A Seasick Dragon

Act III - I Had A Farm In Elydonia

19 Fears Realised

Windrunner screeched loudly as he flew over Berk later that afternoon, bringing Stoick and many others rushing outside to see what the commotion was. Seeing that his chief was taking part in the rebuilding of Gobbers forge, Odd brought the greenish blue dragon to a landing nearby.

"Good work boy" he praised the Nadder as he scratched it on the cheek "take a rest for an hour or so, you've earned it."

As the dragon flew off to find somewhere warm to lie, Odd approached the exhausted and sweaty forge builders with the news he was not looking forward to giving. Soon after he was in the great hall with Stoick and the senior members of the tribe, relating all the stories of the Dragon Riders various encounters with Nainn over the past few days, while he held a rolled up chart in his hand. They all listened with stern interest to the tale, but could not stop themselves from laughing when they were told of Astrids new five way split personality. Fury burned in their eyes when they found out about the kidnapping of Astrid and Sigrid.

"I WARNED THAT MAN WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF HE CROSSED ME" Stoick boomed as he embedded his axe in the table.

"Wait Chief; there's more to tell."

Stoick still raged and was snorting like a bull as he sat back down to hear the rest of Odd's report."

"We were already making our first moves toward their rescue when Astrid managed to send Hiccup a signal. She let us know what Nainns next move would be so we set up an ambush for him on the next island, but before we could spring the trap, Hiccup called it off."

This sent a murmur around the room as everyone wondered why Hiccup had faltered as Odd called for calm.

"He had good reason to do what he did" Odd continued "for it was at the request of Sigrid and Astrid; they had more information him. While Nainn and his guards slept on the island, Hiccup spent the night with Sigrid and the ship's captain discussing the situation which was this; if the women had escaped as we had planned, the sailors charged with guarding them would have paid with their lives as well as the lives of their families at home. Not only that, but the other sailors would have been severely whipped."

There was another general murmur at this because although the Vikings wanted their friends freed, they did not care for the cost.

"YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND" the angry crowd eventually conceded to listen to Odd "that these men... these sailors... are just like Hak and Gauk, who some of you now count as friends."

"But they didn't kidnap our people" someone called out.

"And neither did the other sailors, it was Prince Nainn who did all these things with the help of his guards. For on his ship, he rules by fear and the soldier outnumber the sailors, who are treated almost as badly as slaves. Astrid and Sigrid have seen the way it is for the men on that ship and it was they alone who decided not to escape 'yet' so the sailors would not be punished. Their leader, a man named Captain Joric Thorn has made a solemn oath with Hiccup and that oath is this; because the lives of their families are now safe, he and all at his command will pledge their own lives to our women's protection."

Odd finally placed the chart he held down onto the table.

"Captain Thorn has given us a list of names of the people we should try to make contact with back in his own country and two copies of this map; it shows the west coast of Elydonia the country where Bolthorn Castle stands. He has also given us information about the various towns and villages in the surrounding countryside, as well as the location of some sea caves on the coast of the northern farmlands where Hiccup can hide the dragons."

"They know about the dragons?" Stoick was both shocked and disappointed.

"Only Thorn does at the moment and he had to be told about them so he would know what we would do and how we would do it. So as we speak Hiccup, Freya, Snotlout and Fishlegs would be... about... here" Odd pointed to a spot on the map.

"I don't believe this; I sent word that nobody was to go beyond that last island on our maps."

"Believe me Chief, Hiccup did not take this decision lightly. Thorn has also given us information about how he will help Sigrid and Astrid escape from Bolthorn, before they ever set foot inside the castle. But he needs to make contact with people in Elydonia to get everything prepared, before Nainn gets back and they've got less than two days to do it."

"So we are supposed to just sit here and wait?"

"Well... no... I'd like your permission to seek some more help."

"From who?" Stoick wondered.

The camp with two tents was slowly beginning to expand, as Hak and Gauk made use of the tools and building supplies that Stoick had sent over to their island a few days before. This was an island that was meant to be a prison, but was rapidly becoming more like a home for the two men. They may have been freed from the tyranny of Nainn and Bolthorn, but they were not as free as they would have liked.

"Stoick is a reasonable man Hak, so we should tell him."

"But what if he gets angry... and what if he says no... then where would we be?"

"We'd still be alive and we'd still be here. Even if he says no today, if we show him that he can trust us, we may be able to convince him to let us do it later."

"Do what later?" Stoick asked as he walked into the camp.

Hak and Gauk froze at the site of their jailer. There was no point in keeping their plans to themselves now and they could only hope that he would not be angry.

"Were sorry sir..." Gauk started.

"Chief or Stoick" the huge man boomed.

"Yes Chief; we both have families back in Elydonia and we wanted to go back home to get them, so we could all settle here and become part of your tribe. All the men and women who have delivered these supplies have talked with us about life on Berk and is seems to us that although it's a hard life, it is also a peaceful life... and we've never really had that at home."

"Sit down lads" the three men sat down near a large wooden A-frame that Gauk was constructing as the first part of what he hoped would be his new home.

"Life here wasn't always peaceful" Stoick admitted "we had been at war for over three hundred years, but now we live quite happily with our former foes."

"Exactly our point Chief; no King, Duke or Lord of the lands surrounding Elydonia has ever made peace in that way. They only ever make alliances to increase their power and they don't care who they step on to achieve that power."

"And we were among the stepee's" Hak added.

"I understand what you're saying lads and I'm not saying no to your request, but I have another problem to sort out. As I think about it, the solution to my problem may give you exactly what you want, but there will be consequences."

"What kind of... consequences Chief?" Hak had every reason to be worried.

"While I haven't lied to you boys, I also haven't told you everything about Berk and if I do, then your request to stay with us, will instead become your fate and your future will be sealed. So then... are you sure you want to stay?"

The two men looked at each other for several seconds and then nodded.

"Yes sir... err Chief; sorry."

"Right then" Stoick took a deep breath to steady his nerves "take a look up at the peak; do you see those large birds circling around up there?"

"Yes Chief" Gauk remarked casually.

"They're not birds; OKAY FREYA" he called back over his shoulder "YOU CAN COME IN NOW."

Little Freya entered the campsite leading Swiftwing on a rope. The last time these two men had seen the small dragon was from a distance as they had tended to Nainns landing boats, but up close and unbound, she looked quite dangerous; far too dangerous for a small girl to handle.

"This is Little Freya and this is her pet" Stoick introduced.

"I call her Swift" Freya announced proudly.

Swiftwings wound was healing nicely and although she was still grounded by doctor's orders, she now had full and free movement of her wings once more.

"Kraahk" the dragon responded to the sound of her name.

"Look at that" Hak was amazed "that lizard has wings."

"She's not a lizard silly" Freya laughed as she prepared to show them a trick she had learnt from Snotlout.

"Swiftwing; SHOWOFF!"

Although the young Deadly Nadder could not set itself on fire as Hookfang had done, she still made an impressive sight as she stretched herself to full height, raised her wings and shot a ball of fire into the air that exploded high overhead.

"WHOAH" both men shouted with surprise as Hak fell backward off his log.

"She's a dragon" Freya grinned.

"There's the coast" Fishlegs called out as the grey hills appeared on the horizon.

"Okay then" Hiccup ordered "You guys glide in slow while Toothless and I find this cave in the cliff."

The wings of the Night Fury began to beat faster and stronger as the pair pulled away and approached the distant coast. Hiccup knew from the directions given by Captain Thorn that Bolthorn Castle was a fair distance to the south, but the Riders of Berk needed to find a place of safety for their dragons as well as find the right village and the right people.

"This is amazing" Gauk declared as he petted the junior Nadder "dragons; they're real."

"And they're not like lizards at all" Hak added "this one acts more like a pet cat or a faithful old dog."

"How dare you call Swift an old dog; she hasn't even turned one yet."

"Oh; sorry Swift I didn't reali..." he stopped short as he did realised "What are they like fully grown?"

"Reeeeeealy big" Little Freya declared stretching her arms as wide as she could.

"Now just relax gentlemen" Stoick reassured them "READY ODD; BRING HIM IN."

The air was filled with the sound of huge beating wings as Windrunner lifted off the ground on the other side of the trees and flew overhead. Odd landed the dragon over thirty five feet away from the men but that still didn't stop Gauk from fainting. It was another fifteen minutes before the two men were ready to talk again.

"I don't understand it" Gauk was still shaking as he watched the tiny girl swinging from the adult Nadders tail "why didn't you just attack us if you had the power of these creatures at your command?"

Stoick rose to his feet and took up the axe he had slung onto his back.

"HAAAAAYAAAAH" he yelled as he sliced the huge log he had been sitting on in two with a single blow. He then replaced the axe and sat back down on another log.

"When you have power, is it right to hold it over everyone just to get your own way?"

Hak and Gauk admired this man more and more, as well as his attitude to leadership.

The best thing about hiding with six dragons in a cave halfway up a sea cliff is that nobody is likely to drop in unannounced.

"Okay then so we are in this area" Hiccup placed a finger a few inches down from the top centre of the Captains map.

"So where are we headed first?" Freya asked.

"Straight inland till we reach this road and then south till we reach the first village and ask around for Captain Thorn's family farm. Will you be okay here on your own Fishlegs?"

"You're never alone in a cave full of dragons'; I think I'll be better off tonight than you three."

"Ah but you never know" Snotlout grinned "we may meet some lovely young Elydonian women on our travels."

"You seem to have gotten over Astrid very quickly" Fishlegs smiled accusingly.

"She's made her choice; it's not my fault that it's the wrong one."

"Come on lover boy" Hiccup chuckled "get on your dragon and let's go."

"Are you sure I can't take my helmet with me" Snotlout complained "my head feels cold."

"Stop yer whining" Freya shot back "how do you think I feel? A Viking warrior without her iron breastplate; I look like a farmer."

"We're all farmers now" Hiccup pointed out "so just put up with it and stick a piece of straw in your mouth."

Toothless complained as Hiccup got up on Stormflys back, but his cries brought no change in his friends resolve.

"Sorry Bud but you have to stay here with Fishlegs and the others for a few days but I'll be back as soon as we've got Astrid and Sigrid back."

Hiccup, Snotlout and Freya stood by the cave mouth on their dragons as Fishlegs checked to make sure there was nobody near the top of the cliff to observe the vertical transfer. As soon as the all clear was given, Stormfly, Hookfang and Cuddles flew out over the sea and swept back to land on the field above the cave.

"Good luck everyone" Fishlegs called out as the three untied their packs from the saddles, and soon he was leading all the dragons back to the cave as Berks latest fake family set off on foot.

"Don't forget Snotlout" Hiccup reminded his headstrong friend "she's not Freya anymore; as long as we're here she is mother."

"Yeah yeah, I won't forget; you worry too much Hiccup."

"Of course he won't forget" Freya smiled ruffling up Snotlouts hair "my Snoty-kins is such a good boy."

"Shut up... mother."

**Wow - it's only been five days but it feels like an eternity since my last post but in that time I have gotten the entire plot for act 3 worked out as well as tweaking act 2. Hope you've enjoyed this chapter and I should have the next one up by the weekend. Marty.**


	20. Chapter 20

20 Three Berkians Walk Into A Bar

Gauk was still shaking as he sat by the fire in the Great hall with a mug of Mulch's best brew in his hand and a snoring Gronckle at his feet.

"And when you want the dragon to fly down" Starkard explained "you just lean your body forward."

"Ah so that's where I went wrong" Hak realised.

"Yes; you don't bounce on the saddle like you're forcing the dragon to drop."

"I... I don't understand how you can be so calm about this Hak" Gauk shivered into his beer "We could have been killed today."

"Oh we could have been killed by Prince Nainn anytime since we sailed from Elydonia, by the tip of his very own blade but this" Hak grinned "this was worth the risk."

"It's alright for you" Gauk waved an accusing finger "your dragon didn't catch fire hundreds of feet in the air."

"To be fair Gauk, you did hit it on the head. And it didn't burn right through your trousers; it only singed 'em a bit."

"Don't worry Gauk" Stoick tried to comfort the man as he approached "you'll be flying on a non-flammable dragon in the morning."

"So you still intend to make us go through with this then?"

"Oh come on Gauk" Hak encouraged his friend "we'll be heroes and we'll be one step closer to starting a new life with our families here on Berk... as Dragon Riders."

Hak puffed out his chest at the thought, but Gobber soon deflated his ego.

"That's right; just like Little Freya."

"Being a Dragon Rider on Berk is really quite ordinary these days" Stoick laughed.

"Well... it would impress the people of my village if they knew."

"Half of them would drop dead on the spot if they saw one of those beasts landing in the town square" Gauk was adamant."

The sun was setting over the sea as Freya and her artificial sons finally wandered into the first small village they found.

"Well... according to the map, we walked in the right general direction once we found the road" Hiccup pointed out "so this should be the right place."

"I don't really look old enough to have sons your age do I?" Freya asked vainly.

"No you don't" Hiccup complimented "so try to look more haggard and worn out; you are meant to be Snotlouts mum after all."

"Very funny" Snotlout sneered "let's just try and find out if this really is the right place."

The trio from Berk walked past the first house they came to as it was dark inside, but further on was a good sized house with light shining through some cracks in the shutters. They approached the front door, looked at each other and knocked.

"That better not be that useless cousin of yours tryin' to get you down to th' tavern again" a voice came from the back of the house "tell 'im to go away cause your dinners ready."

A tall broad shouldered man opened the door and looked the three up and down.

"Goodness me" he seemed surprised "it be strangers; and who might you be then."

"I be... I mean... my name is Freya and these are my sons. Is this the village of Vesterham good sir?"

"It is; you look like you've come a long way."

"You don't know the half of it" Snotlout mumbled.

"What brings you this far north of Bolthorn then?"

"Actually sir" Freya explained "we're from the north and we're on our way to Bolthorn to meet up with Captain Joric Thorn when he returns in a few days, but we also bring a message for his brother Godfred."

"You know Joric... and you're from the north... that's an odd combination... I think you'd best come in."

The man stepped back to allow them entrance as the sound of stomping shoes came from a bend in the passage.

"I thought I told you to... oh" a muscular round faced woman came around the corner wiping her hands on a dish cloth, but she stopped short in surprise when she saw the strangers.

Oh I am sorry... I thought you were someone else. Who are our guests Arnis?"

"This be Freya and her boys... err..."

"Hiccup and Snotlout" Freya introduced to the surprise of the couple.

"Well... very different names... most certainly... you must excuse my manners; I'm Elin and this is my husband Arnis."

Freya looked at Hiccup as she greeted the woman to see if the names they had been given were on Captain Thorn's list of contacts but Hiccup shook his head.

"They say their friends of Joric so I thought I'd walk 'em over to the Thorn place" Arnis informed his wife.

"Alright then I'll keep your dinner warm and get the children fed while you're gone, but if you're not back in fifteen minutes, so help me I'll be down to that tavern with me rolling pin to knock some sense into you" Elin stormed off back the way she had come.

"We best get going then" Arnis picked up a coat from a hook by the door and led the three out into the evening air.

"That were a lovely sunset miss" Toki remarked.

"Yes indeed" Astrid replied "I suppose there is no avoiding it anymore; I'll just have to join Nainn for dinner."

"Do you really not like eating at sea miss?"

"No; I just said that to avoid our host."

"Well he don't like eating or sleeping at sea at all miss, so he may get a little cranky over the next few days."

"You mean to say that all I've seen so far is his good side?"

"Sorry miss but... yes."

"Suddenly I really don't feel hungry at all."

"Oh the food will be very good though miss, they caught some fresh Quail on the last island and the ships cook was chosen by Prince Nainn personally."

"It's not the food Toki, it's the company; I just hope Sigrid and Joric will be there."

"Call him Captain miss" Toki whispered "it may arouse suspicion if one of the guards hears you use his name."

"What would they think if I referred to Nainn as 'Prince Nauseous the First'?"

"I wouldn't if I were you miss."

"So how long have you known Joric then?" Arnis asked as the four walked through the town by torchlight.

"I've only met him once" Hiccup revealed "but he owes me a favour and a rather large one at that."

"So you're not friends then?"

"Well we hope to be; he certainly made a good first impression."

After a short walk to the southern side of the village, Arnis led the small group off the road and down a path that went back toward the sea where a small house stood next to a large barn."

"Godfred; are ya home there?" Arnis called out.

"Coming Arnis" a sleepy voice answered from within.

When the door finally opened a surprised young man stood in the backlight. Although he bore a small resemblance to the Captain of Nainns ship, nobody would have suspected they were brothers.

"This is Freya and her sons Hiccup and Snotlout" Arnis informed the man "they tells me they're on their way from up north to Bolthorn to meet up with your brother and they has a message for you so I brings 'em down; I hope you don't mind."

"Oh no of course not, I am indebted to you Arnis; would you all like to come in?"

"I won't thank you Fred; Elin's in a bit of a mood."

"Just one drink?"

"Maybe tomorrow... if me dinner dries out, she'll make me eat it anyway."

"Well goodnight then, and thanks again."

Arnis waved as he walked off while Godfred ushered Freya and the boys inside.

"So you know Joric then" the cheerful man broke the ice "you don't look like a sailing family."

"I've spent some time at sea" Freya admitted "but we all prefer a different mode of travel these days."

"I hope you'll forgive me for getting straight to the point" Hiccup interjected "but your brother told us to come here so you can put us into contact with a man named Sigfus Jolfson."

"Sigfus?" the young man took a step back "who are you people anyway?"

"Were Vikings" Snotlout blurted out.

Godfred took another step back and pulled a knife from the back of his belt.

"Vikings? When Arnis said you were from the north, I did not think he meant that far north. You don't expect me to believe that my brother sent you spies here so you could plan another one of your murderous raids, do you?"

Snotlout and Freya went for their own blades but Hiccup stayed their hands.

"From now on Snotlout please let me do the talking. Please sir; we're not from the north, our home is in the west and we have never carried out any murderous raids here or anywhere. In fact we have not travelled this far east for over three hundred years."

"Then why are you here now and how do you know my brother... or is he your prisoner?"

"Captain Thorn is not our prisoner; in fact he has two of our people prisoner... well... Prince Nainn does and that is why he sent us to you and told us to ask for Sigfus Jolfson."

Hiccup could tell from the look on Godfreds face that he still was unsure about their story, but the boy still had high hopes that he would provide them with the help they sorely needed.

"You're not really a family are you?"

"No were not; but will you help us?" Freya asked.

"Maybe... but I'm not taking you all to Sigfus. Two of you stay here while I go with your leader to meet up with him and if you don't cross me, then maybe we can do business together."

"Alright then" Hiccup agreed "you two stay put; and don't break anything Snotlout."

"Wait a minute" Godfred was taken aback when Hiccup gave the orders "this one legged runt is your leader?"

"One and a half" Hiccup noted in Astrids absence.

"HANG ON THERE BRIGHT BOY!" Snotlout shouted at Godfred.

"Snotlout..." Hiccup tried to intervene.

"NOBODY CALLS HIM RUNT BUT ME; UNDERSTAND?"

"Snotlout!"

"HE HAPPENS TO BE THE SON OF MY CHIEF AND THE WORLDS GREATEST DRAG..."

"SNOTLOUT! Will you please calm down?"

"Oh... err... sorry Hiccup, but... well... you know."

**Dear diary, it has been more than 10 days since I last received a review and that was for chapter 14. I think it has finally happened. The robots have taken over and I am possibly the last person here but I will not quit. The story will go on as intended and I will not introduce cybernetic characters into the tale just to appease my new electronic overlords. If there are any humans still out there, please feel free to drop me a line and let me know your opinions about the story. I must go now and stockpile a few thousand cans of beans for the coming apocalypse.**

**Jokes on me; after I wrote the 'Dear diary' bit, I got another review, but I have left it in anyway. Hi gearsky - hope you are enjoying the story. Hello also to TheNightmareBringer - hope your writing is progressing well.**


	21. Chapter 21

21 Flying down to Bolthorn

"I don't know how you do it Sigrid."

The two warriors of Berk lay on the deck of Nainns ship a few feet forward of the mast trying to get as much sleep as they could manage.

"Do what Astrid?"

"Get comfortable on a moving ship, without a hammock."

"Start by turning yourself side on to the movement of the ship then it's just like being rocked to sleep... or is it something else that's bothering you?"

"He knows where I am Sigrid, but I have no idea where he is or what he's doing. I didn't think it would be this difficult."

"Only two more nights on the ship and then we'll reach Bolthorn; I'm sure they'll have everything ready for us when we do."

"Two more nights" Astrid sighed to herself "two more long, long nights; great."

Four men sat around the table and stared at Hiccup suspiciously. When Godfred had made the introductions, Hiccup recognised the names of Sigfus and Kylan from Captain Thorn's list but he was unsure about the third person.

"Well... are you gonna tell us why your here or shall we just bury you out the back and forget about the whole thing?" the other man threatened.

"I'm sorry, but Joric gave me some names of people to trust and make contact with, and Gil here isn't on it."

"Why you cheeky little..." the man raised his hand to slap Hiccup, but Godfred stood up to challenge him and so Gil backed down.

"If his friends had come with him Gil" Godfred warned "you would have thought twice before you tried that."

"Yeah well... it's just rude that's all" Gil sulked.

"I meant no offence" Hiccup offered "but I took a great deal of risk in trusting Joric and the lives of people very important to me hang in the balance. If things go wrong... well... based on my limited experience with Nainn, the result could be war."

"Is that what you want boy?" Sigfus asked.

Hiccup leant forward; no hint of falseness was in his eye or in his voice as he spoke.

"Listen to me; Prince Nainn came to our islands several days ago and has been causing trouble ever since. If my father was like your prince, he would have destroyed his ship and killed everyone on it, but he is the more the kind of a man to show mercy. And so he let them all leave with the promise not to return. Two of the crew decided to stay with us and start new lives. Over the following two days, as Nainn moved through the seas near our home, he threatened us again and again, but we only ever sought to drive him away. Eventually he went too far and kidnapped two of our people from one of our islands; it was then that I personally felt like destroying his ship and killing him..."

"You!" Gil said in surprise "how could you..."

"Shut Up Gil" Sigfus interrupted "go on lad."

"I quashed those feelings and we made plans to ambush him on another island so our people could escape but, don't ask me how, Captain Thorn suspected they would escape. Rather than stop them with violence, he implored them to stay on the ship till it reached Bolthorn so none of the crew would be blamed, whipped or executed. He then allowed Astrid, one of the hostages, to signal me and so while Nainn and his guards slept on an island close by, I spent the night on board ship with Captain Thorn making plans for an escape from Bolthorn dock thus allowing the ship's crew to escape all punishment. And that is why he sent me to you for help."

Gil stood up again, but this time he made no move against Hiccup.

"I err... need a minute... alone" he walked to the door and left.

"What's that all about?" Kylan spoke for the first time.

"His oldest boy" Sigfus informed the group "serves on that ship. So if what you say is true, you might have just have saved his sons life; we all know what Nainn is like. I don't think Gil is gonna give you any more trouble."

Gobber, Kara and Fjori made sure a hearty breakfast awaited Hak and Gauk at first light, for they both had a very long day ahead. Hoark and Starkard were busy down in the dragon stables helping Stoick and Olvor prepare their dragons for the long trip ahead.

"But I always ride Boomer when Skywolf isn't here" Stoick complained.

"Well you're not going to this time Chief because I need him" Olvor put Stoick in his place " Gobber's made me a special custom saddle for the broad back of a Zippleback that can hold an injured Viking and my doctoring bag, so he goes with me. You like Nightmares, so why don't you take Bloodstorm?"

"I don't know why you can't take another Zippleback..." Stoick mumbled to himself as he walked off in a huff.

Olvor was one of the few people on Berk who could make demands of Stoick and claim them to be for medical reasons whether they were or not.

"That man just has to get his own dragon" Olvor remarked to Hoark "have you got Adelinde and Thunderwing saddled and ready to go yet?"

"Starkard is just checking on the bindings with Odd; we don't want anything to come loose with a pair of beginners on such a long trip."

Twenty minutes later found Hak and Gauk on their dragons and trying to get accustomed to their new positions while Stoick was still complaining about his.

"Come on Chief" Olvor pleaded "Bloodstorm is a fine dragon for a mission like this."

"Not when you have to be on him all bloody day" Stoick shot back "I need a dragon with more... girth for comfort."

While Stoick continued to not get his own way, Hoark gave the two former Elydonians a quick last minute lesson in the finer points of Nadder riding.

"Now remember not to lean forward during liftoff or your dragon will think you want to land again; so stand on the stirrups rather than just sitting in the saddle, then you won't feel like your falling over backwards. And don't try to steer the beast during the first minute; it'll follow the lead dragon at first and you can practice your flying once you're at gliding height."

"Thanks Hoark" Hak gave a salute like wave "are ya ready Gauk?"

"No, so let's go before I change my mind."

The hay in the back of the cart made the bumps in the road a little more tolerable as the seven travellers made their way down the road to the next village, but it did make Snotlouts britches itchy.

"So that's a horse" Hiccup noted "When Captain Thorn mentioned that your soldiers rode on those, I pictured something very different."

"You don't have horses on your island?" Godfred asked "well I suppose it's not too surprising, but it is strange that you've never seen one before."

"As I said last night; we've been rather busy for the last three hundred years."

"That's another thing" Gil piped in "Godfred told us that you're Vikings but you're not from the north; are you really from the west?"

"Well... northwest, but more west than north" Hiccup clarified.

Gil fell silent for a moment as he considered what Hiccup had just said; he was making a habit of doing this.

"What's up with you?" Kylan asked.

"Well... before my lad leaves on this voyage that he's on, I paid him a visit in a tavern just outside Bolthorn and he told me what Nainns mission was."

This revelation made everyone pay full attention; Elydonian and Berkian alike.

"For longer than I've been alive" Gil began "ships officers had always made sure that they didn't take their vessels northwest of here any further than a full days journey; just to be on the safe side, for many ships that had sailed on any further, never returned. The few that did were crewed by sailors who all told tall stories of monsters in both the sea and in the sky."

"Everyone in the land knows these legends" Sigfus commented "but you three don't seem surprised or put out in any way that Gil would say these things about your home... if that's really where you're from."

"It is where we are from, no lie" Hiccup replied "why do you think we've never come here before? We have similar stories, but that doesn't tell us anything about Nainn mission."

"While we were catching up before he leaves, me boy tells me that just before the last winter, one of fishing boats from Bolthorn harbour fails to return after getting caught in a strong westerly and as it's such a small boat, everyone assumes that it just sank in the open sea. But the next spring, it comes back and the two fishermen on board are none the worse for their time away although they are a bit ragged. It seems that King Rekkur heard about them and he demands to know how they survived. So they tells him of how they got blown out west for three days till they come to an island with high cliffs all around."

"I've got a funny feeling about this island" Freya interjected.

"They tell the King that after sailing around it, they finds an inlet on one side that they sailed into just to get out of the open water and when they do they find a place to land and a way up the cliffs so they beaches the boat and explored the island. It had plenty of small wildlife, birds, rabbits and the like but they said that there were none of the legendary monsters. So with the winter approaching fast the two fishermen pulled their boat high out of the water. They dropped the mast and turned it over to keep the water out and then make camp in a cave halfway up the hill to the woods by using the sail to close off the inner cave till they could build something better. And that's where they claim to have spent the next five months living off the land when the cold set in and ice fishing in the frozen inlet until the spring thaw."

"And King Rekkur decides that if these fabled monsters are gone, this is his big chance to increase the size of his territories before anyone else finds out" Godfred concluded.

"Me boy said that Rekkur didn't believe in them old tales" Gil continued "even though some of the old maps of the western seas have 'Here there be Dragons' printed on them."

"That's actually very funny to me" Hiccup pointed out "because our map shows that very same island and it says 'No Dragons Here' on it."

"You must be a very enlightened people, but that is still a strange thing to put on a map" Godfred thought out loud as the three from Berk smiled at each other.

"So Nainn was then sent to check it out then I assume" Freya assumed.

"Not quite" Gil went on "first they send Captain Thorns ship to the island with a skeleton crew just to be sure. When he reported back safely a week later, Nainn was sent with his personal Guards to claim anything and everything in the name of King Rekkur of Bolthorn."

"That swine" Snotlout said accusingly "How would he like it if I came here and started claiming everything for Berk? I bet he'd go crazy."

"Did you say Berk?" Kylan remarked surprised.

"That's what we call our home." Freya informed them.

"Interesting... very interesting."

"Why is that?" Hiccup sat up and asked with great interest.

"My Grandad use to tell me about a man he knew back when he was a boy who told stories to the village children; stories about a land he called Berk."

"What kind of stories?" Gil asked.

"Oh... they were very fanciful tales about a tribe of mighty warriors who would regularly fight and kill huge fire breathing dragons armed only with hand weapons; real fairytale stuff."

"Well... that's quite a coincidence" Hiccup tried to remark as casually as he could "but I can honestly say that I have never killed a dragon in my life."

"Except for that big one last year" Snotlout pretended to joke "you remember don't you; the greenish one with the big red spikes."

"Oh yes; the one you hit in the eye with a hammer" Hiccup grinned.

"That's the one."

"Very funny boys" Kylan smiled and turned to Freya "and I suppose your gonna tell me you hunt dragons every day."

Freya lay back on the straw and closed her eyes as the cart made its way slowly down the road.

"Not anymore" she admitted "now I keep one as a pet; named him Cuddles."

"You people amaze me" Godfred smiled "so much trouble ahead and you can do nothing but make jokes about mythical creatures."

"Well... ya gotta laugh... don't ya?"

Although they would never have admitted it, all four Elydonians suspected there was more to these three from the northwest than any of them were letting on."

**Dear Diary, My cat is looking at me... again. What is he thinking and what is that look in his eyes? Does he only want more tender fishy chunks in his bowl or is this something... more sinister? Yesterday the dog next door put his nose under the fence and got a paw in the face for his trouble, but afterwards the cat looked up at me... with that look... wide eyes... twitching tail... he almost seems to be saying 'I took care of Rover and I can take care of you too; so watch your butt fat boy and don't be slow with the can opener' but... wait... he's purring and rubbing up against my leg. Ah relief; it was all in my imagination. 'phew'**

**(Is it still my imagination or is my goldfish... looking at me?)**

**I had a lot of fun proofreading this chapter, but it was a pain to write (so many re-writes). Thanks to all the readers and to the reviewers especially Shadowda and SharKohen for your insight. I will be away for most of the weekend, but I will try to have the next chapter posted by early monday morning (Australia time which is Sunday afternoon in the USA and evening in Europe I think). Bye for now, Marty.**


	22. Chapter 22

22 Where there is Smoke

"All things considered, I think they're both doing rather well" Olvor commented to Stoick as Odd and Windrunner led Hak and Gauk on a little flight training game of follow the leader.

After the first half hour had passed on the long flight southeast, Odd had decided that the new Dragon Riders needed to greatly increase their flying skills, long before they ever got anywhere near Elydonia. And so he had begun their advanced training by reminding them of the basic left/right/up/down ways of controlling a dragon and then he started out with a few lateral movements followed by some vertical changes. As time went on the two beginners slowly became more comfortable moving around the sky and even Gauk was guiding Adelinde in a much more fluid and natural manner than he had ever managed to do at the beginning of the flight.

As the large cliff faced island finally came into view, Odd noticed that the Sharktooth was no longer moored on the southern side of the island, but the longship soon came into view. She had been beached inside the inlet at the same place where Nainn and his men had previously landed in their row boats and both the Dragon Riders and the crew of the Sharktooth had completely taken over the prince's former campsite.

"Good to see ya Chief" Olaf greeted as Stoick dropped to the ground from Bloodstorms back.

"Welcome to Lookout Island" Agnar added as the following four dragons touched down around them.

"I hope you all have nothing but good news for me today" Stoick was forceful but hopeful.

"Well we've not got any bad news if that helps, but we've nay heard back from Hiccup and the others yet; so we've no reason to think that anything's gone wrong with the plan so far" Olaf reported.

"I still find it hard to believe that Sigrid and Astrid decided to go to Bolthorn, rather than escape here where they had the advantage" Stoick shook his head.

"I know it has made things much harder for everyone here" Gauk interjected "but by doing what they did, Sigrid an Astrid really have saved the lives of some of our former shipmates and we really appreciate that Chief."

"Yes, yes I know, but I won't be happy till everyone is back home and safe. So then; anything to report Olaf?"

"Ack has taken all the Gronckles over to the eastern side of the island to stack up some rocks for when we start to build the lookout, while the twins are out on long patrol over the waters between here and Elydonia; just in case there is any sign of this Royal Fleet we've been told about. Helga and Agnar have gone down to the ship to bring up some of the supplies."

Stoick took out the map of Elydonia that Captain Thorn had passed on to him via Hiccup and Odd and unrolled it on a patch of dry ground.

"Right then... Hiccups Riders should have gone to this village to make contact with Captain Thorn's brother and gather the others on his list, before they head south to prepare for the escape. So where is your farm Gauk?"

"Right here" Gauk pointed to a town northeast of Bolthorn.

"It's about four miles from the castle and another mile past the town of Staggshund."

"Where can we hide the dragons?" Odd asked.

"There's a valley a good way back from the road that goes by me house where we run sheep and goats. There are not too many trees for cover, but no one would see anything if they pass by on the road. If we keep watch from the hill nearest the house we'll get plenty of warning if anyone approaches."

"Time to go then" Stoick announced "Olaf; get those Gronckles back to the Sharktooth and if the twins bring a good report of no ships, then I want you to sail the Sharktooth on a heading due east."

"And if they do see a ship or two?" Olaf asked.

"Yes... hmm... Odd you stay with Olaf and fly as a lookout so he can avoid any unwanted contact and if all goes well, we'll see you all after a successful operation."

After only a short rest, the riders lifted off from Lookout Island and Stoicks nerves began to heighten as he led them over the last stretch of sea to Elydonia. All this sneaking about felt so different to his usual method of 'Burst in roaring while waving a big axe and making an unforgettable first impression,' but this time he knew that he had to trust the plans that Hiccup had made with Captain Thorn and be ready to back them up when needed. Not a situation he could feel comfortable with at all.

"Be very careful what you say here lads, even when you're talking with people you trust" Kylan warned the boys "for this is a place of distrust and paranoia. Anyone could be listening to your words and they may not hesitate to use them to betray you; especially if there is a coin to be had for that betrayal."

The town that surrounded Bolthorn castle was nothing like what Hiccup and Snotlout had expected. It had narrow streets where very little sunshine could penetrate, and even narrower alleys that were already totally black, although sunset was still over an hour away. The houses and shops loomed over them and almost seemed to form a type of prison for the young men, who were so used to the more casual village of Berk and the freedom of the open sky. The people they passed in the street looked at them with a leer of distrust and apparent disgust at the sight of Hiccups leg.

"If I didn't have to be so careful about what I said" Snotlout whispered "I think I could come up with a few choice words for this place."

"Here we are lads" Kylan remarked as he tapped lightly on a door that looked no different from any of the others in the alley.

"What do ya want?" a faceless voice called quietly from behind the locked door.

"Sigfus Jolfson is calling in a favour you owe."

The sound of three bolts being slid back echoed in the alley before the door opened a crack and one of the many distrustful eyes in town, peered out at them.

"Kylan; what do you want... and who are these two?"

"Let us in Lillian and we'll tell you all about it."

After a short hesitation the door flew open and then was quickly shut and relocked when the three travellers were safely inside. Before them stood an elderly lady, who seemed to be desperately trying to fool people into thinking she was still middle aged.

"So what's this all about then?"

"Nothing for you to get upset about Lillian..."

"I'll decide that, not you; so spill."

"These two are in town to meet up with some friends around this time tomorrow and when they do, they'll need a place to meet and then they are all going to go home; simple."

"If Jolfson is involved then it can't be that simple... I want a cut" she demanded.

"Of what? There's nothing to cut" Kylan was beginning to get frustrated with her.

"Are you seriously trying to tell me that Sigfus Jolfson is just helping these strangers out of the kindness of his heart? It's too late in the day to pull that one."

"Listen Lillian; you owe Sigfus and he owes favours to others as well. Without letting it get too complicated, those others owe these boys a favour so we're all helping out. All we want to do is meet up here when their friends arrive and then leave; no trouble and you will be in Sigfus' good books for once."

"Is King Rekkur looking for them?"

"Rekkur doesn't know or care about these people. They're just rural villagers who got separated; simple folk" Kylan smiled while Snotlout tried to look rural.

"I'm not that gullible Kylan; there's more to this than you're telling."

"I'm not lying about there being no money involved; this whole thing is just Sigfus trying to square a debt to his old commander and it gives you a chance to do the same with your debt to him; without taking any risks or getting yourself into any trouble. So then, are you going to help or do I tell Sigfus to collect your debt to him in another... unpleasant way?"

The woman was silent for a moment, but there was a distinct look of fear on her face as Hiccup and Snotlout began to wonder exactly what kind of people they were dealing with.

Fishlegs had been having a quiet and enjoyable time with the dragons. He had spent most of his time observing them and he had come up with several theories based on their behaviour. One of the first things he noticed was about Hookfang who, just like his rider, seemed to be over confident, aloof and always needing to be the centre of attention. This had led to his first theory that a dragon will, over time, take on the personality traits of its rider.

While considering Stormfly, Fishlegs noticed the dragon took great delight in comradeship and joy in play. These were traits that had only appeared in Astrid after she had become Stormflys rider and this had led to Fishlegs coming up with his second theory; the rider will, given enough time, develop a similar personality to that of the dragon. Toothless however gave Fishlegs some of the most interesting traits to study as, just like Hiccup used to be, the Night Fury was a solitary beast. In days long past it would never attack the village at the same time as all the other dragons, preferring instead to wait until the battle was in full swing before diving in with its devastating attacks. But now Toothless had become a very social animal; a change that had also come over Hiccup in the past year.

As he watched the dragons interact, Fishlegs observed Toothless playing with his friends, resting with the group and stepping in between fighting dragons in an effort to keep the peace and he pondered how all these actions and traits were never seen in Hiccup or the Night Fury in the past, but were now a big part of the both of them. And so Fishlegs third theory came to light; when a dragon and rider spend a lot of time together, they can both develop a new and improved confidence and personality that did not exist previously.

All of these theories paled in comparison when compared with Fishlegs final observation; after so many hours spent just sitting and watching, the dragons were starting to get a little nervous and were keeping their distance from him. This led Fishlegs to his fourth and final conclusion.

"I've been sitting in this cave far too long" he said to himself.

The flaming torches that intermittently lined the docks provided just enough light to enable Freya to see the black silhouettes of three men she was walking with, but she could not see her own feet and none of the planks she stepped on was either level or properly secured, making her progress slow as well as causing her to stumble several times.

"This is it; the Royal Mooring" Sigfus pointed out.

Before them was a very different structure than the one they had just walked across. Here was a pier that had been built by craftsmen with every board and plank totally level and well secured. Even the torches provided more light, so that no member of the royal family or important guest would be in danger of tripping even in the middle of the darkest night.

"This whole plan feels wrong" Gil complained "couldn't your brother have come up with something simpler?"

"This is simple" Godfred replied "and that's what makes it such a good plan. You know we can't just snatch them away out from under the noses of Nainn and his guards; they have to believe that Astrid and Sigrid are no longer here, so killing the two of them is the best way to achieve that."

"But if something goes wrong..."

"That's why we have stick to the plan and why we have to get it right; no second chances here" Sigfus warned.

Flying a dragon in the dead of night is no problem for the Riders of Berk, but Stoick was feeling a little concerned about the rookies gliding alongside of him. For it was not a large field or the well lit village of Berk where he was leading them, but it was to an unknown cave in the side of a cliff in a country he had never been to before. Their confidence and dragon handling skills had improved greatly during the long journey and so the Chief had tried to reassure himself that all would go well for them as soon as they found the cave. Stoick need not have worried.

"There it is Chief" Hak called out as he put Thunderwing into a short dive straight down before pulling back on the reigns and gliding the dragon straight into the dimly glowing cave. As soon as they were inside Hak leant back in the saddle; the Nadder twisted his wings back and dropped smoothly to the ground. Gauk entered the cave far more slowly and touched down right at the cave mouth letting Adelinde walk inside.

"How did you learn to do that?" Gauk asked surprised.

"Ah it's just like riding a horse, only better; and I reckon these dragons are much smarter."

Fishlegs was more than a little surprised when the first Nadder had arrived being ridden by someone he had never seen before, but when Stoick and Olvor had escorted the second one in, he felt sure all was well; particularly since Stoick wasn't yelling loudly and waving his axe about.

"Hey Chief... umm… should I be worried about this?" Fishlegs asked.

"Oh yes I forgot; you haven't met Hak and Gauk yet have you?"

"You mean the prisoners? I never realised Berk had such a liberal attitude towards incarceration."

"I don't think we should still call them prisoners anymore lad" Stoick smiled "they are more like... hmmm... immigrants."

"If you say so Chief" Fishlegs greeted the two former Elydonians warmly.

"Alright then" Stoick boomed "it's time for us to rouse all the dragons and get Gauk here back to his old home. I assume you can take care of Toothless for me Fishlegs."

"No worries Chief, although Meatlug is not gonna like this; she is very sensitive and tends to get jealous when I ride another dragon."

Stoick looked at the expressionless face of the Gronckle and suspected that this jealousy was all in Fishlegs' mind.

"It's only a short trip" he reassured the boy "I think she'll cope."

Stoick led the weyr out of the sea cave and into the night. As they rose up over the coast, the worried Chief looked back at all the riderless dragons behind him and hoped beyond hope, all their saddles would be filled again within the next day or so.

**The meeting with Cressida Cowell and Dean DeBlois is going very well and they both like my stories very much.**

**"We would like to turn your first story into a TV special and the second one will become the third season of 'Dragons: Explorers of Berk' if you approve."**

**Their offer is quite acceptable and all this means that I can set myself up in a little beach house in the tropics and continue my writing un-interrupted for the foreseeable future.**

**"All you have to do now is sign your*meow* on the contract and then we will be *meow*."**

**Why was Dean saying these odd things... and what is this painful pressure on my chest?**

**My eyes begin to focus just as a white cat paw bats me on the end of my nose... oh crap; Moon wants to be fed and I was dreaming again.**


	23. Chapter 23

23 The Lost Boys

"This way lads" Kylan whispered back to Hiccup and Snotlout as they approached the waterfront area of Bolthorn.

Now that the safe house had been established, Kylan's next task was to ensure and confirm that the Dragon Riders could find their way back from the dock if they were separated the next day, during the escape and rescue. After they had carefully walked the route, the three met up with Sigfus near the dockside entrance to Bolthorn castle.

"Is everything set up?" Hiccup asked quietly.

"Almost" Sigfus replied "Gil and Freya are hanging up the last of the black cloth and Fred is setting a few floats to guide your people to the right spot. Did you have any trouble with Lillian?"

"A little, but I think she does relish the thought of having you off her back" Kylan chuckled.

"Does she suspect anything about what we're up to?"

"I don't think so; she is finding it hard to believe that you are really doing this for no personal gain and I suspect that she will still want some compensation for her trouble."

"Well she can go and ask Rekkur for it and see how far that gets her, the greedy old hag. If I spilled my guts to the palace guard about her..."

"Then she'd return the favour and tell them about the exploits of a certain former officer from the Kings flagship" Kylan warned.

"Yeah yeah, I know; as long as she keeps herself to herself, I'll let her live. So how about you two; do you think you could find your way back to the safe house without any trouble?"

"Seventh alley off the left side of the broad road and the fifth door on the right side" Hiccup replied to Sigfus' satisfaction.

"Okay then; since we're almost finished here, why don't you both head on back and we'll show Freya the way when she and Gil get back. If you get lost just stay close to the broad road and we'll find you."

"Don't you worry" Snotlout was aloof "we know the way."

"Sorry about that" Hiccup apologised as Snotlout walked off "he's not accustomed to being so reliant on others, especially strangers."

"Just make sure he stays out of trouble" Sigfus advised.

"I'll do my best" Hiccup replied as he ran off after his friend.

The journey that had taken most of the day by horse cart was only a twenty minute flight for Stoick's tribe and their dragons. They now stood on the hill top that overlooked Gauk's home with the road to Bolthorn beyond it. With the last part of the days journey finally over Stoick began to prepare for the next part of the plan.

"Olvor; I want you to come with Gauk and I just in case his family get a little spooked by a late night visit from a Viking Chief. A more friendly female face may allay any fears they may have. Hak, you listen to Fishlegs and he'll show you how to take care of the dragons."

His orders given, Stoick and Olvor followed Gauk down one side of the hill while Fishlegs and Hak led the dragons over the rise and down the other side just far enough so they would not be seen from the road.

"Stoick puts a lot of faith in you lad" Hak observed "considering your age, you must be very good at what you do."

"I was fortunate enough to be one of the first of Berks Dragon Riders and that gave me a small head start on almost everyone else in the village. It really doesn't make much difference now as everyone has well and truly caught up but… yeah… it's good that the Chief trusts me like this and I'm not gonna let him down, so let's get these dragons bedded down for the night."

"AHOY HOY" Gauk called out as he and his companions neared the house. His greeting was recognised but was still met with surprise.

"Gauk… is that you?" came a man's voice from behind the door "What are you doing back so soon?"

The door flew open in greeting and light streamed out but the smile on the face of the man who stood there soon faded a little when he noticed the unexpected people who flanked his brother in law.

"Hullo Horry; I'd like you to meet Stoick and Olvor and this folks, is my wife's brother Horry."

Stoick walked up to the bottom step and held out his hand. He tried his best to smile as warmly as he could through a small forest of beard. When all the pleasantries were over and done with Gauk and Horry led their guests into the house and they all sat down around the fireplace.

"Where are Karin and the children?" Gauk asked.

"They've been over at mothers for the week; they should be back in a day or two but what's happened with you? We weren't expecting to see you again for weeks yet."

Most of the next hour was spent with talk of life onboard ship with Prince Nainn, travels and discoveries, encounters with Berkians and life changing decisions. Although many of Horry's questions and concerns were addressed during the conversation, he still had a very difficult time coming to terms with what Gauk and his friends were revealing to him and nobody had even mentioned dragons yet.

"So you really want to take the risk of abandoning everything you have here, just to move the entire family to an island almost nobody in Elydonia knows about?" Horry was amazed.

"Well I don't have any choice; you know what King Rekkur is like. When he and Prince Nainn find out Hak and me didn't fight to the death as ordered, then we'll both be executed and our families will become outcasts."

"But he doesn't know..."

"I can't hide forever Horry" Gauk explained "and I really believe our lives will be better out there, but take some time to think about it; me and Chief Stoick have some things to get done and I'd like to go and tell Karin if I get the chance. I want you to do me a favour though and don't go anywhere near the hill just north of here for the next few days; we'll be err... busy up there."

"Who's there?" the craggy old voice enquired from behind the door.

"It's your old friend Sigfus; open the door Lillian."

In her often practiced manor Lillian slid back the bolts, allowed the visitors entrance and then quietly shut and re-bolted the door in one seamless action.

"I can't say I'm happy to see you Sigfus, but at least you're expected this time" Lillian noted and then looked at Freya "I assume this is their lost friend."

"No, this is Freya their travelling companion; the others won't arrive until late tomorrow. Where are the boys anyway?"

"They left with Kylan as I said" Lillian answered nonplussed.

"You mean they haven't returned?" Kylan interrupted.

"You five are the first people I've seen for the last half hour."

"Freya; you stay here" Sigfus ordered "the rest of you; split up and find them."

Sigfus unbolted the door and the four men rushed off into the night.

"Now this is a prison" Snotlout nodded impressed "stone walls, heavy reinforced door, thick iron bars, much better than our pokey little tents."

"I'm glad you like it" Hiccup commented as he sat on the cold stone floor "any ideas as to how we're gonna get out of here though?"

"Ah don't worry Hiccup; you'll think of an idea soon."

"Your trust in my abilities fills me with confidence" the sarcasm was lost on Snotlout.

"Let me know when you come up with something" and the muscular young man lay down by the back wall and closed his eyes.

"Err... excuse me" the voice came from the prison guard on the other side of the door.

"Can I help you" Hiccup rose and went to the small barred square opening where the curious man stood.

"Did your friend just say that you incarcerate your prisoners in a tent" he indicated the softly snoring lump by the wall.

"That's right; we recently imprisoned two men in a tent."

"How did you stop them from escaping?" the confused man asked.

"Ah... I see your problem; you're assuming that they wanted to escape."

"Don't all prisoners want to escape?"

"Not when you imprison them on a happy little island with good food and pleasant company."

"Yes... well... I can see that would give them some incentive to stay, but is that really all that it took?" the guard felt there must be more.

"Well there was the singing..."

"Right."

"And the dancing" Hiccup offered.

"Ah... dancing."

"Not to mention the man with the big axe"

"That would do it" said the satisfied guard.

"And the fire breathing monsters."

"I wouldn't mention those either... so; tents plus... other things; I think I understand now" Terk Ponomon walked back to his station, happy in the knowledge that there were other people in the world just as crazy as his older brother.

A knock on the door announced the arrival of the last of the searchers.

"Any luck Gil?" Godfred asked.

"Yeah, but none of its good."

Over the last half hour, the other three men had arrived back at the safe house door and given their reports of nothing found, so all were very impatient to hear what Gil had to tell them.

"There was no sign of the boys anywhere in the street so I went to see one of my son's former shipmates, who was on duty on the castles northern gate. He didn't have any details but he said that four of Rekkur's palace guard had brought in two young men and one of them only had one leg."

"Are you sure it was Hiccup? He has one and a half" Freya pointed out.

"He did mention the squeaky spring" Gil revealed.

"But why were they taken" Kylan wondered.

"That's the other thing" Gil looked at Lillian who started to back away "he also said he overheard one of the guards say that he hoped the pair was worth the money they had paid to the old crone."

Sigfus made a dash for the old, woman but she was well prepared as she slid a false wall panel back and rushed into a hidden escape passage. Just like her front door, Lillian was well rehearsed in quickly closing and locking the panel and so all the others could do, was to take out their weapons and break it down. But by the time they had managed to achieve their goal, Lillian was long gone.

"She better hope that her age catches up with her before I do" Sigfus fumed.

**Surely you did not think that my power could be contained by someone as pathetic and weak as you.**

**And how could you think my appetite would be appeased by such tiny morsels: THESE SCRAPS WILL NOT SUFFICE!**

**I am strong... I am mighty... and nothing can stand in my way; NOTHING WILL STOP ME... nothing... NOTHING!**

**And I will rise AND I WILL RULE AND THE GOVERNMENTS OF YOUR WOLRD WILL FALL DOWN BEFORE ME AND... **

**Oh crap... Marty's coming back..."meow... meow... purrrrrrrrr."**


	24. Chapter 24

24 Tiny Bubbles

On any normal day, Horry would have been surprised to hear the thumping on the front door of the farmhouse so early in the morning, but normality had taken a long vacation and had even sent him a postcard in the form of an exhausted horse rider named Gil; right in the middle breakfast too.

"I'm looking for someone named... err... Fishlegs" Gil could not believe the names these boys all had.

"Then I think you're in the wrong place" Horry began to shut the door.

"WAIT... STOICK... do you know anyone named Stoick?"

"You know Stoick?" When Horry heard the name of the large man he had met the evening before, Horry stopped and looked around outside.

"I know his son; Hiccup" Gill replied as Horry took the strange man in and sat him down near the kitchen.

"Here" he gave Gil a plate of food "stay here and don't move till I get back."

Horry rushed out the back door and walked very quickly away from the house to the northern hills; fifteen minutes later he was calling his brother in laws name from halfway up the slope. He was almost at the top of the hill before Gauk heard Horry's call.

"What on earth is he... excuse me folks" Gauk jumped up from his seat near the camp fire and rushed to the top of the hill.

"HANG ON HORRY" he called out to stop his wife's brother from coming too close to the dragons.

As Gauk topped the hill he could see that there was something important going on back at the house by the expression on Horry's face.

"Those knuckleheads" Astrid shook her head as she glanced into the sky.

Even without one of Hiccups telescopes she could just make out that the 'bird' that was flying over the ship had two heads so while she was glad that the twins were watching over her, she wished they would do it from a slightly higher altitude. Astrid noticed the ship change course about forty degrees to starboard; she felt a brief moment of panic that the Zippleback may have been spotted. But as she looked around she saw no such sign of any panic in the crew, so she wandered over to talk to the captain.

"We've changed direction" she noted to Captain Thorn.

"Yes... we've sighted Elydonia, so now we're headed down the coast to Bolthorn" he informed the young girl.

Astrid rushed over to the port rail and peered into the distance where she could just make out the land on the horizon.

"We should sight the castle in a few hours and then make port a few more after that" Thorn was pleased to be back, but nervous about what they were about to do when the ship made port.

For the first time that day, Prince Nainn came up onto the deck having prepared himself for his triumphant return to Bolthorn Castle, with his prisoners and his report about the new lands in the northwest. He had not enjoyed the last few days of the journey and he was looking forward to putting his feet back on solid ground. Sigrid was surprised to see Nainn in all his royal finery but she, just like everyone else onboard, knew that under those royal robes was the same cruel coward who had cause nothing but trouble for the Berkians ever since the day they all first met.

"So then" the false superiority in Nainn voice was abhorrent to Sigrid "soon you will set eyes on Bolthorn Castle where you will remain for the rest of your short life, in service to the Crown."

Sigrid found it hard to believe the arrogance of this man; he was bad enough before, but now that he felt the confidence of his attire and his proximity to the seat of his power, he was becoming even more unbearable. He even spent the next few hours simply walking around the deck inspecting everyone and everything and he constantly delighted in his dissatisfaction at absolutely everything he saw. Many of the sailors were taken from the important tasks that their captain had given, merely on the whim of the prince who would order them to clean up this, polish that or straighten themselves up so that they would not bring shame to him on his arrival. What bothered Sigrid more than anything was the verbal abuse that went along with every order that proceeded from within his loud mouth.

As time went on, the tension level onboard the ship went up higher than a vertical plasma shot from an angry Night Fury and Sigrid began to worry that Nainn or one of his soldiers may begin to suspect that something was very suspicious about the sailor's actions.

"You don't need to worry" Captain Thorn allayed her fears when she brought them to his attention "Unfortunately, this is very normal for the men on a returning ship. Prince Nainn always tries to turn every little aspect of his journey into a massive victory or achievement, so that he can stride pridefully into the castle with his head held high and his prizes on display."

"What will happen when he loses two of those prizes soon after making port?"

"He will be more than annoyed to be sure, but he will still have the map we made for him and the information that he had gathered during the voyage; and that was the whole reason for the journey in the first place. One thing you have to remember Sigrid, is the main reason that you are here, is to show the people of Bolthorn and Elydonia that the King is strong and all foreigners are weak and easily enslaved. This helps the king to keep the common people from attempting to overthrow him, because if they think that heavily armed foreign armies have tried and failed, then he hopes that they will figure that they don't have a chance either."

"I know I could take him or any of his men down in a battle, but does he really think that the people of Bolthorn will see me and Astrid as a foreign army?"

"No but he'll make up some story about your capture that shows him in a good light."

"Ah... just like he did with the knife Stoick gave him" Sigrid grinned.

"Wait... what is the story with the knife? He told us that it was a symbol of your chief's surrender."

"He wishes; it was a warning of what Stoick will do to him if he does anything like... oh... kidnap two of his people for example."

"You have no idea just how much I want to tell Nainn that Stoick is probably in Elydonia as we speak" Thorn smiled.

After a few seconds, Sigrid caught herself staring into the captains eyes before she quickly turned away blushing.

Farg Ponomon was charged with chaining Astrid and Sigrid when the castle came into view. On his captain's orders, he did not use the shackles with the keyed locks, but the more simple screw lock ones. The bolts were tightened not on the women's wrists, but onto their hands so that they could then slip the shackles up their wrists and then slip them off again later when the time was right. Fitting the shackles on their ankles was the tricky part as Farg tried to twist the bolts on just far enough, so they would not fall off before they were supposed to.

"Well this is humiliating" Sigrid commented as the ship pulled up to the dock.

Ropes were thrown from both the bow and the stern, as the gangway was dropped down to the dock. The first ten guards were lined up in front of the Berkian prisoners in two rows with Prince Nainn ready to follow behind the captives with the point of his sword at their backs, with the rest of the soldiers bringing up the rear. As soon as the ship had been sighted from the castle, preparations had been made to receive the Prince with banners being flown from the castle walls and townsfolk rounded up to cheer his arrival with enthusiasm.

The first two guards stepped onto the gangplank that was only just wide enough for two men to walk down shoulder to shoulder, as Captain Thorn quickly checked the deck of the ship to see if all his men were well and truly in place. The plank had built up quite a steady rhythmic flex as the soldiers marched down and Sigrids foot caught the top edge as she attempted to step up from the deck causing her to stumble; both the women of Berk gasped as Sigrid began to fall from the side of the ship.

"NO!" Astrid called as she tried in vain to prevent Sigrid from falling headlong into the water.

Between the chains and her iron breastplate Sigrid had no hope of keeping her head above water and she instantly sank to the bottom of the harbour as Astrid knelt down on the gangway with panic in her eyes.

"SOMEONE HELP HER" she shouted as four of Joric's sailors jumped from the ship to attempt a rescue.

Nainn then fell over Astrid and went sprawling down onto the dock but as he did so, he also managed to push her over the edge and with her chains and metal shoulder pads weighing her down, with a splash she was gone.

**Gobbers favourite Dragon Insults and Curses Pt 1:****  
****1; Your breath could extinguish a Monstrous Nightmare****  
****2; Why is that Terrible Terror on your face? No wait... that's your nose****  
****3; That's not a Gronckle you're looking at; it's a mirror****  
****4; I hope you find a Fireworm in your undies**


	25. Chapter 25

**I started to have a look at some of the other features of this site today (forums, communities, etc) and I have discovered something - I think I am the oldest person here (0_0) eep!**

25 Its Good To Be The King

Captain Joric Thorn ran forward from the ships wheel to the port railing and looked over into the inky blackness.

"DO YOU SEE ANYTHING" he called to one of his men as he broke the surface of the water.

"THE UNDERTOW'S GOT THEM" the man called back "THEY'RE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE SHIP!"

The soldiers that were still on the ship ran to the starboard railing to look over the side as three more sailors dove off into the water.

"Even if they manage to find the prisoners sir, I doubt they will be able to save them with those heavy chains weighing them down" Thorn called out to the prince.

"Yes yes; no need to rub it in" the annoyed monarch replied.

Nainn desperately wanted to blame somebody else for what had just happened to the Berkian women. But it was he alone who had insisted, against the Captains advice, to chain the prisoners during their transfer to the castle; just so he would look more impressive to those on shore. He put his unneeded sword back in its sheath and stormed back to the gangway where the commander of his soldiers stood waiting with the chart of Nainns voyage to the northwest islands.

"Give me that" he barked as he snatched the map from the man who just saluted and then followed his prince off toward the castle.

The crowd still cheered at his passing, but Nainn was in no mood to acknowledge their forced adoration as he stormed through the gate.

Underneath the dock, Toki was beginning to turn blue as he struggled to unscrew the last of the ankle chains from Sigrids leg, while she pulled herself along the guide rope that Godfred and Sigfus had laid under the water the previous night. Long before they had gone over the side of the gangway, Sigrid had insisted to Toki that he be sure to take care of Astrid first, but one of the young girls chains had proved very difficult to remove; and so he found that he had to undo Sigrids chains while on the move as they both could only hold their breath for so long.

The rope led them all back to a specially prepared place on the shore underneath the dock where a number of lengths of sackcloth had been hung by Gil and Freya. They were well hidden from sight as they left the water, near one of the town's stormwater drain outlets. Not that anyone should be looking underneath the dock at that time, but with so many people in the water pretending to search, it was a case of better safe than sorry. Sigrid felt the last chain fall off her leg just as her head left the water, so she reached back behind her and grabbed a large tuft of Toki's hair and pulled him to the surface.

"Blue is definitely not your colour" she smiled as he fought for breath.

"I don't think I could have lasted any longer down there" he gasped.

"Thank you Toki" Sigrid kissed the sailor on the forehead "you've been a peach."

"Oh no; thank you for not escaping back on the island... the life you saved may have been mine. I hope this makes us square for all the times I had to hold you at knifepoint."

"You're forgiven Toki; now get back to the ship before you're missed."

"Goodbye... and good luck getting home" he waved and turned back to swim to the end of the dock.

Astrid sat shivering in the storm drain as Sigrid climbed in herself only to see another familiar face.

"I would have joined you both, but I didn't bring my bathing costume."

"Freya! Good to see you" Sigrid smiled with delight as a towel hit her in the face.

"Hurry up and get dry; I've got some clothes here for you and then we've got to get out of town as soon as we can; there has been some trouble and our safe house has been compromised."

"What does that mean?" Astrid asked.

"I don't know; it's just one of the weird things this guy named Sigfus says all the time."

The large, ornate door that led from the throne room into King Rekkur's private chambers close behind Prince Nainn with an impressive 'boom' as the king and his advisors prepared to hear the rest of Nainns report about his journey into the Sea of Doom; as the superstitious peasants liked to call it. The official reception had gone more or less to plan only without the expected, and much looked forward to, humiliation of the prisoners that usually went along with the return of a conqueror. So the King had to be satisfied with the new map and the report of many islands to annex into his kingdom.

"I was informed that you had brought two prisoners back with you" the king said accusingly "so what happened to them?"

"The clumsy fools fell off the gangway and drowned in the harbour father" a very annoyed prince stated "but it's the other people we encountered that have got me worried."

"Worried? I thought you said in the throne room that you had no trouble with them."

"We won't have any trouble with them in the future father, but they did vastly outnumber my small contingent; I had to use my wisdom and strategy to get the better of them."

Nainn was most pleased that nobody else from the ship was with him to let slip the facts of what had happened to the prince during his encounters with the Vikings, but there was one twisted truth Nainn had decided to reveal to the royal court as he took out the ornate dagger Stoick had given him.

"This knife was given to me by the Chief of the islands we were peacefully exploring, after his people had attacked me for no legitimate reason and killed two of the ships company. He told me that if I ever returned to the lands he had conquered, he would use this knife to slaughter me but with your permission father, I would like to send the entire fleet back there to dismantle this empire and destroy that mad dictator; visiting his threats back upon him with this very blade and thus freeing the people he has enslaved to live free as servants of Bolthorn."

Even though there was no one in the room to dispute the prince, the king and his advisors were still very quick and eager to accept the one sided version of events Nainn had been presented to them, but the king was not willing to commit his entire forces to this venture. There were other kingdoms in the surrounding lands with spies everywhere, constantly looking for weak spots in the Elydonian defences they could exploit at any time.

"What can you tell me about the strength of this Chief's forces" the king asked his son.

"He kept everything hidden from me so that I would not see how weak he truly was, but I saw that every island was either uninhabited or only had two or three people visiting at any time. One of his people claimed that he had many ships, but I saw only one and it was no more than a fishing boat compared to the Kings Warships; the small vessel I sailed on was still twice the size of it. The only true danger I encountered, apart from Mad Stoick and his giant axe, was a weedy boy with one leg who had the ability to bring fire down from above; but none of the others were able to do this."

"Sir; if I may" asked one of the king's advisors.

"What is it" the king sounded very annoyed at the interruption.

"The Town Constabulary has reported that they have detained two strangers seen near the docks last night... and the smaller of them had only one leg; well... one and a half actually."

"What about the other one" Nainn blurted out "was it a thin blonde girl?"

"No Prince Nainn; it was another much larger boy who appeared to be the one in charge."

"Interesting" the king stroked his bearded chin "maybe you should go and see if these are indeed the same people that you encountered on your voyage, come to spy on us."

"Yes father I will, but what of my request for the fleet to be sent back?" Nainn almost demanded.

"I will not commit the entire fleet to this task while there are other enemies to consider" frustration burned in Nainn eyes at the king's words "but you may take the eight Warships moored at the naval dockyard and destroy this Mad Stoick and his barbaric hoards. Bring back some of the people you free from those lands, so they can work off their debts to the Crown for their liberation."

"Yes father... thank you, but I should remain behind to oversee the operation..."

"No my son; your experience in that area and with its people will be needed by the ships commanders; so you must go."

"Yes father" Nainn agreed through gritted teeth.

"Now go and see to these prisoners while I send word to prepare the ships for our conquest."

"By your leave father" Nainn raised his arm in salute and then turned and left the room.

With a dull thud, the bow of the Sharktooth struck the sand on a deserted beach twelve miles north of Bolthorn as Windrunner set down in the sand next to Barf and Belch. Olaf and Helga dropped from the longship to the beach as Odd and the twins approached with their dragons following close behind.

"So what are we supposed to do now if we can't fly our dragons down to Bolthorn" Tuffnut complained.

"We wait here until Stoick arrives with the whole team, or we go search for them when the sun sets" Olaf informed the boy.

"Wait... what? How can we search for them after the sun has gone down?"

"Well you never know if everything has gone according to plan or not, so we may be looking for anything that stands out; you know, mayhem, destruction, a burning castle, who knows."

"Neat" Ruffnut grinned "now I hope that the Chief doesn't show up because you should have seen the size of that castle; it would be great to watch it burn."

"Yeah" her brother agreed as they hit their helmets together.

"Odd; keep a close eye on those two... please."

"You got it Olaf."

The sounds of clanking locks and slamming doors echoed throughout the castle dungeon as footfalls approached the prison cell that held the two young Dragon Riders.

"Well well well" Nainn gloated as he peered into the cell "you're the son of Stoick aren't you?"

"Hey Prince; how's tricks? Have you got your other prisoners with you?" Hiccup fished for information.

"You will be no doubt sorry to hear that they are both dead" Nainn grinned smugly "they drowned in Bolthorn harbour only an hour ago, but don't you worry. For when I tell my father who he has sitting in his dungeon, then it won't be long before you join them in the afterlife."

"So... you're not gonna let us go then? No fair; we let you go."

"Let you go? When I tell my Father who you are, he will have you executed to show the people of Elydonia just how King Rekkur of Bolthorn protects his people from foreign invaders."

"Foreign invaders? A sleeping oaf and a boy with one leg?"

"I heard that" mumbled Snotlout "and you've got one and a half."

"And we would not have come here if you had kept your word to my father and left, but noooo; you had to wave your sword around and kidnap my friends. So here it is Nainn, your final warning; Let us go now and we will leave peacefully. If not, then you can watch your castle burn."

Hiccups ultimatum took Nainn by surprise; it was a long way from the usual 'oh-no-Prince Nainn-please-don't-kill-me' type of pleading that he was more acquainted with.

"You and your people are nothing more than rodents to me; constantly turning up where you are not wanted and making nothing but a mess. Well it's time for you to be exterminated. So while you are here waiting for your execution, I will be leading a force of warships deep into your former territory, where I will watch Your home burn; so no one will be left to mourn your passing."

With his threat still echoing inside the cell, Prince Nainn stormed off to take command of the Royal Bolthorn Invasion Fleet and leave the two boys to their fate.

"That went well and we now know that the drowning plan worked" Snotlout commented sarcastically "but why did you call me a sleeping oaf."

"Sorry Snot; I was just trying to make him see that we were no threat, but it's a tactic I think I will have to abandon. Nainn seems to really enjoy harassing people who are no threat to him."

"Yeah... well... next time you can be the oaf and I'll be the boy with the one... wait... no, that's not right."

**With a look of longing in her eyes she stood on the edge of the cliff and looked out over the ocean. Day after day she came to this place and day after day she dreamt of the time when her fiancés ship would appear on the horizon and they would be together once more. When that day finally came, she would say to him the words that she had been longing to say during the many long months gone by. **

"**Why did you take the TV remote with you, ya selfish bastard?"**


	26. Chapter 26

26 Rescuing the Rescuers

Kylan lay face down in the street as he reached down into the storm drain and grabbed Astrid's wrist. As he lifted her up, Godfred reached for her other arm and helped her out of the darkness. Soon after, all three of the warriors in peasants clothes were following the Elydonians through the back streets towards the edge of the town.

"How long before we meet up with the others?" Astrid asked Freya.

"There's been some trouble" she replied "Hiccup and Snotlout are currently sitting inside a cell in the castle dungeon."

Astrid stopped running as the shock hit her and grabbed Godfreds arm as he went passed her.

"What happened?" she said firmly; Sigfus turned back and approached her.

"It was my fault" he admitted "I chose the safe house thinking that I could manipulate the woman who lived there into helping us but... I was wrong."

"So what are you doing to get them out?" She demanded; Sigfus had rarely felt so intimidated and never by such a small blonde girl.

"We're going to meet up with your other friends and then we'll try to get word from our contacts on the inside of Bolthorn castle. If we're lucky, then the guards will just give them a quick interrogation like they do with most of the strangers in town and then let them go with only a warning and a few bruises" Sigfus' words brought her little comfort.

"Now I know how Hiccup felt when he had to leave us on the ship" Astrid commented to Sigrid.

"We will just have to organise their escape like they did for us" Sigrid replied "now let's get out of here."

No more was said as the new allies continued on their way out of Bolthorn Town while Astrid considered what she would do to Nainn if she ever set eyes on him again.

King Rekkur struck a very regal figure as he sat on his high throne and looked down on the two young men who stood before him with contempt. Long chains were attached to their wrists by strong iron bands.

"My son has informed me precisely who you are Son of Stoick and what insults you and your father have heaped upon the Royal Crown of Bolthorn."

"We only wanted to protect our friends" Hiccup answered back.

"GUARD" Rekkur shouted angrily "PUT THAT SERVANT IN HIS PLACE."

The soldier standing behind Hiccup kicked him sharply in the back of his good leg causing him to fall down to his knees.

"Now hold your tongue while I speak to your master"

Snotlout looked down at the kneeling boy as he realised that the king had mistakenly thought that he was the son of the chief, being the larger of the two and he quickly came up with an idea that would help Hiccup.

"Yes... err... and you stay down there until you have learned your place. I am sorry King; it's so hard to get good help in the northwest islands. Maybe you should just throw him out of the castle and be done with him. After all, he's not much of a prisoner; lazy, crippled..."

"His fate has already been mapped out for him" the King grinned in the same way that Nainn often would "He will watch you be executed as a sign to all your people about what happens to those who dare to stand in defiance against me, then he will serve as a slave in the castle for the rest of his short and miserable life."

When Hiccup heard that Snotlout was to be killed in his place he struggled to get back onto his feet.

"Wait a minute Rekkur; he's not Chief Stoicks son, I am."

"Quiet... err... servant and get back on your knees" Snotlout interjected.

"What are you doing Snotlout? He wants to kill you."

"Err... Yes... I, son of Stoick will die at the hands of this king and you will serve him well; I command you."

"Give it up Snotlout; I'm not gonna let you die for me I AM THE SON OF STOICK, NOT HIM."

"Don't listen to him Mr. King the little runt is just..."

"SILENCE THE BOTH OF YOU" having risen to his feet, King Rekkur sat down once more "You will both be taken out and you will both be executed... NOW!"

"In the daylight? Thank you very much your Kingship" Hiccup bowed "I am happy that you honour us in this way by enabling us to face our deaths while the sun is still high and not to make us cower in the darkness like frightened cowards."

"There will be no such honour for you rebellious scum. GUARDS! Take them back to the cells and then execute them an hour... no two hours after sunset."

The cell door closed with a crash so loud, that it made the spring in Hiccups leg vibrate.

"Well that was easy" Hiccup smiled with self satisfaction until Snotlout laid him out flat with a sucker punch to the gut.

"YOU IDIOT" Snotlout yelled "YOU BRAINLESS... GORMLESS IDIOT!"

"You seem a little... upset" Hiccup gasped.

"He was gonna let you live; Idiot!"

"Come on Snotlout... I wasn't about to..."

"And what makes you think this is about what YOU want? IDIOT!"

"Snotlout; will you please stop calling me an..."

"IDIOT! No I won't because YOU didn't think... IDIOT!

"I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF THIS SNOTLOUT" Hiccup took a deep breath and started again "I could not let you pretend to be me just to save my own life."

"Well he's gonna kill BOTH of us now; does that make you happy, hmmm?"

"Err... no, not really but..."

"All you had to do was keep your BIG MOUTH shut and you could have stayed alive and the others could have rescued you."

"They still might Snotlout; that's why I got Rekkur to change the time of the execution."

"Stuff that; you still don't get it, do you?"

"Get what? What are you talking about?"

"You are very important to the tribe you idiot; so when someone tries to save your life, DON'T STUFF IT UP."

"Come on Snotlout; you're important too."

"I know that you fool; there are people on Berk who would be lost without me and you're one of them, but you're the son of Stoick, the next Chief of Berk and... you're the Dragon Master and that means a lot to the tribe and I don't think you really see that... or you're just trying to look modest..."

"No... not really."

"Then TAKE THE HINT. Sure you do dangerous things too, take risks and the like but we all know that while it's your job to take care of us, it is also the task of each individual warrior to take care of you; not for your sake, but for the tribe. Do you get it yet? I wasn't doing it for you, idiot; I was doing it for Berk, for your father, for Astrid, for the Dragon Riders, for the dragons, for everyone... so they wouldn't lose their leader and sometimes you just have to let us do our job and not go around make it any harder."

"But I couldn't let you give up your life for me..." Hiccup began.

"NO, that's not right; you couldn't make me give up my life for you because then you would be as big a coward as Nainn. But you can let me if I choose to do so. Also you cannot and should not, ever try stop one of your warriors from giving his life for the good of the tribe; understand yet?"

"I... I think so... sorry Snotlout... but... we're not dead yet."

"Yeah um... what was that you were saying about changing the time?"

The town became much lower and spread out as the three men of Elydonia and the three women of Berk approached the small guard post on the road that led out to the countryside. It would have shortened their journey if they had taken the main road to the east but that route was too heavily patrolled and so the more rural path was chosen.

"So where are you lot headed in such a hurry?" one of the sentries challenged the group.

"Just want to get home before it gets too dark" Godfred smiled.

"Hang on a minute" the second sentry stepped out in front of them "I remember there were only four of ya when you came by earlier."

Both sentries were soon tied up inside the guard post while nursing very sore heads.

"Why did you have to go and do that?" Sigfus asked "All we had to do was tell them that we had come into town to fetch you two and we would have been on our way."

"Sorry" Sigrid grinned and shrugged her shoulders "just a reflex."

A few more minutes down the road brought another reunion with a very concerned Viking and his former prisoner.

"Sigrid, Astrid, it's so good to see you safe again" Stoick held out his arms and hugged them both.

"Good to see you too Chief" Astrid grinned, but was soon very serious again "any word on the boys yet?"

"I'm afraid not" Gauk shook his head "Gil hasn't come back yet."

"Is that a good sign or a bad sign?" Stoick asked Sigfus.

"I think it's a good sign" he replied "Gil may have gotten word about their release and he may just be waiting for them."

"I hope so."

For the last few days, Astrid had thought that she and Sigrid were the only ones in any real danger, but now she was clearly worried that her decision to talk Hiccup into coming to Bolthorn may have been poorly thought through, as this was one eventuality that she had not considered.

"Look" Kylan pointed back down the road "Here he comes now."

Everyone was very disappointed to see that not only was Gil alone, but he was also running with obvious urgency. Sigfus and Godfred helped their friend when he collapsed as soon as he reached them.

"Nainn saw them... and recognised... Hiccup" he panted "they're going... to be... executed..."

"When?" Stoick boomed.

"Soon... about three hours..." the exhausted man gasped.

"We've got to get back to the dragons" Stoick declared no longer caring who was listening.

"Dragons?" Sigfus had known that there was something very different about these people, but he was not ready to believe this.

"Where? How?" Astrid demanded of Gil.

The slowly recovering man arose, picked up a stick and drew a map of Bolthorn castle in the dirt.

"You were taken from the western side next to the dock and out of the northern edge of the town, but on the east of the castle is the main gate with the royal balcony above it. The prisoners will be taken out to the top of the grand steps that overlook the area known as the castle square where the townspeople are made to gather for speeches, executions or anything else that Rekkur wants them to see or hear. The King will read out a list of their crimes and then he will declare their lives forfeit before a firing squad will use crossbows to end their lives."

"I'm surprised they're not already dead" Kylan noted "it's not like Rekkur to wait like this or to do it at night when the most number of people won't even see it."

"My contact inside Bolthorn told me that they were going to be executed over an hour ago, but the prisoner with one leg..."

"One and a half."

"...whatever; he apparently thanked Rekkur for not killing them a night and so the King changed the order."

"THAT'S IT!" Astrid declared "Hiccup; he's brilliant."

"What are you talking about girl?" Godfred asked confused.

"Chief; think back to the nights when Berk was regularly attacked; what was always hidden from us in the dark?"

"Night Fury" Stoicks eyes lit up.

"Where's Toothless?" the determined girl enquired.

**Things I have learned since first becoming a Fan Fiction writer two months ago in August 2014:**

**1) This is addictive  
2) A hungry cat in a pain in the butt when your typing  
3) I can now call myself a Published Author (in the same way that I call myself a Professional Musician because someone once gave me some money while I was busking)  
4) Reviews are like Public Transport Busses; You won't see one for several chapters and then along will come three all at once**


	27. Chapter 27

27 Surprise Surprise

Another night on a moving ship did not make for a happy prince and having a whole new crew of 'You There's' to put up with, did not make Nainn's mood any better; but it did have some advantages. The crew of this ship had not seen any of the Vikings he had encountered on his previous voyage, so he had no reason to fear that the truth about his failures would be made known, before he had the chance to turn the whole situation around by conquering the entire archipelago. Thus making sure that his humiliation was totally wiped from the face of the map. With an entire fleet at his command, Nainn felt extremely confident his goal would be achieved within the month and Chief Stoick would soon become nothing more than a distant memory to him and the people of Berk.

If only his father had permitted him to stay back in Elydonia during the whole operation, then things would have been perfect.

This horse seemed to be a perfectly wonderful animal at first; strong, affectionate and fast, but the ride it gave was much rougher than a dragon, even during a wind storm and its speed left a lot to be desired. Still, both Gauk and the horse seemed to be doing their best to get Astrid back to the farm and the dragons as fast as they could, although the two falls she had suffered did not help her appreciation of this fine animals efforts.

"How are you doing back there?" Gauk called to the bouncing and somewhat dizzy girl.

"Are we nearly there yet?" she begged while wondering why riding to Hiccups rescue always seemed to result in a plethora of scrapes and bruises for her.

"Not long now" he told her for the third time in the last hour.

"It's a good sized crowd out there for a night time execution" Terk Ponomon informed the two guests of honour as he unlocked the cell door and led them out; the chains that linked their arms, clanked in a cheery 'you're-about-to-die' kind of way.

"When you say good sized" Hiccup asked "are you talking about the number of people or their weight?"

"There you go again" Terk chuckled "I don't know how you do it."

"Well the wrist bands aren't too tight and having our legs free helps" Snotlout added.

"Not walking, I mean the jokes; there is no doubt about it I am really going to miss you two."

"Now I would love to hear those very words from every member of the firing squad" Hiccup noted.

"Please" Terk held his stomach as he laughed "no more or I'll be in so much trouble when we get outside."

Astrid could feel herself starting to slip again for the umpteenth time, but fortunately for Gauk, she would not have to half strangle him just to prevent herself from falling off again. The pair had finally arrived at the top of the hill behind the house, so Astrid simply let herself slip off and roll to a stop on the ground.

"Fishlegs" Astrid called as she scrambled to her feet again "Get the dragons ready; Gauk will show you the way back to the Chief."

As comfortable as it was by the bonfire, Fishlegs could tell that something must have gone wrong; but if Astrid was free, then what could it be?

"Hiccup and Snotlout are about to be executed at Bolthorn castle" she answered the un-asked question "I need to get going; NOW!"

Hak and Olvor were soon on their feet and helping to stir the dragons while Astrid sorted out the three that she needed.

As soon as she had all of them with her, she leapt onto Toothless' saddle and slipped the lock lever to the open setting, flexing her foot to extend the dragon's tail fin.

"Stormfly, Hookfang; Follow me!"

The Night Fury shot up into the dark night sky with the Deadly Nadder and Monstrous Nightmare hot on his tail, as the three made for Bolthorn at their best speed.

Ten soldiers stood at attention with their crossbows held firmly across their chests as King Rekkur sauntered out onto his balcony to address the cheering, well trained citizens of Bolthorn below.

"PEOPLE OF ELYDONIA" he called out to signal that it was okay for them to stop cheering.  
"People of Elydonia, you all know that my son Nainn Prince of Bolthorn, has just returned from a long journey to the western seas. It has long been known that monsters and serpents lurk ready to destroy any ship that dare to travel in those deadly waters."

"Can you believe that these fools are buying this?" Snotlout mumbled to Hiccup from the side of his mouth.

"His strength and skill in dealing with the barbarians that dwell there, enabled the small ship he sailed on to escape destruction and return in triumph to warn me, your noble King, of a plot to invade Elydonia and enslave all of its people."

The crowd knew their cue well and began to make sounds of shock and surprise.

"HE'S LYING YOU KNOW" Snotlout shouted to the crowd who began to jeer and throw vegetables at the young men.

"Well that was a good idea Snotlout" Hiccup said as a cabbage bounced off his head.

King Rekkur had been annoyed with Snotlout at first because of his interruption, but the way that the crowd had turned against the two boys was precisely what the King had wanted and so he spent the next several minutes telling the people about the evil Mad Stoick and his crazy Vikings hoards. He went on to speak of the Royal Fleet that would defeat these barbarians and bring new prosperity to the people of Elydonia while the food continued to rain down from the crowd and onto the boys heads. When the King was fully satisfied that the people were well and truly placated, he ordered the soldiers to take their position.

"SO NOW THESE VIKING SPYS WILL PAY FOR THEIR CRIMES WITH THEIR VERY LIVES" Rekkur shouted as the squad marched into position.

The soldiers stood before the royal balcony in two rows and at the king's order, they turned to face Hiccup and Snotlout. The front row dropped down onto one knee but before the order was given to take aim, some of the gathered mass began to look at each other and then to the sky around them. There was a sound; a strange sound like a whistling wind, but steady and with a much higher pitch that was gradually growing louder and louder.

"HA" Snotlout called out "It is now your time of reckoning Rekkur."

"Hey good one Snotlout" Hiccup smiled "I like it."

Many of the people, King and soldiers included, were beginning to look a tad panicked at this unearthly noise till Rekkur could not take the pressure any longer.

"WHAT IS THAT" he shouted to the two grinning boys who replied in unison before dropping to the ground.

"NIGHT FURY!" they shouted back as a shot of blue flame slammed into the stone courtyard just in front of the firing squad, sending them all flying backwards. One of the men accidentally discharged the bolt from his crossbow which embedded itself in the wooden railing just in front of King Rekkur.

"Snotlout; stand like this" Hiccup held up his arms with his hands wide apart and the chain stretched in-between.

Snotlout copied the stance; Hiccup stood in front of him so that the chains almost touched.

"HEY Astrid" he called into the black sky and a few seconds later another blue fame shot straight through the chains and into the castle wall ten yards away with an ear shattering explosion. Most of the soldiers were running away in panic with the townsfolk, but a few were getting back on their feet and levelling their weapons at the now free boys.

"YEEEEEEHAAAAA" a shout came from above as a cloud of green gas was laid down across the courtyard between the remains of the firing squad and their targets.

As a spark lit the gas, the soldiers were thrown back once more by the erupting yellow flames and another crossbow bolt struck the doorpost next to King Rekkur's head.

"Ruff, Tuff; how did you two find us?" Hiccup smiled in surprise.

"Oh... we were just flying around looking for some mayhem and destruction we could join in on" Tuffnut replied.

"Can we blow up the castle now?" Ruffnut asked with glee.

"Yes you can" Snotlout replied.

"NO!" Hiccup countermanded "Just cover us while we get out of here."

"You're no fun" Tuffnut jeered as the Zippleback began to circle higher and higher.

"Can I offer you boys a lift?" Astrid asked smugly as she set down with a few friends.

"HOOKFANG!" Snotlout shouted as he ran to his dragon and threw his arms around its neck.

"Have I told you lately how much I love you" Hiccup offered Astrid his hand as she dropped daintily to the ground, while Toothless nuzzled Hiccups side demanding some attention.

"Yes" she replied playfully "but do tell me again"

She tweaked his nose and sauntered off towards Stormfly amongst all the mayhem, fire and screaming people.

"And thank you for bringing me my dragon" Hiccup called after her as the ecstatic Night Fury tried to push his rider back to take his seat.

"YOUR dragon?" she gave her first subtle hint at her new change in attitude about their relationship "I think you mean... our dragon."

Hiccup's face was a sea of puzzlement as he hoisted himself into Toothless' saddle and took to the sky for the first time in days.

"Ah yes" he smiled as the dragon gained height "this is the only way to travel."

Hiccup guided the dragon in a wide circle around the castle so he could take in his first aerial view of Bolthorn and the town that surrounded it. He had warned Nainn that the castle would burn if the Prince did not release him and Snotlout, but Hiccup wanted to be sure that the people and their homes would not suffer because of the two royal, yet arrogant men. A plan soon began to form in his mind; he and Toothless flew back down towards the Royal Balcony where Hiccup could see about a dozen soldiers making their way up the stone steps to the King. Rekkur still stood alone, a look of terror on his face, trying to come to terms with what was going on in the plaza below and in the black sky above. At Hiccups direction, Toothless sent a plasma ball into the wall a foot below the walkway at the top of the steps blowing over ten feet of the path into rubble and cutting off the soldiers from the King. Then after one more turn around the castles centre tower, boy and dragon landed on the balcony only a few yards away from the stunned King.

Toothless roared straight into Rekkur's face causing the frightened king to have a little incident.

"Good evening King Rekkur" Hiccup sat tall and straight on the back of his snarling dragon "we have not yet really been properly introduced."

The king began to step backwards, but the Night Fury matched the first pace and so he gave up and stood perfectly still.

"I... am the son on Chief Stoick the Vast, ruler of the Berk Archipelago. But at home they call me... the Dragon Master" Hiccup patted Toothless on the side of the neck signalling the dragon to roar once more.

"AND I AM CHIEF STOICK THE VAST" came a very loud voice from above as Bloodstorm set down next to Toothless. Booming voice and big axe; Stoick felt truly comfortable for the first time in many days.

"Dad; Nainns on his way back with a fleet of warships and..."

"I know son, Gill told us; so what shall we do about it hmmm?"

"I think I've got an idea" Hiccup smiled in a very uncharacteristic evil way.

**I have never been able to understand why the makers of 'Dragons: Riders of Berk' decided to make the relationship between Hiccup and Astrid so awkward. It was almost as if it was made for six year old boys who still think that girls are yucky. Like in ep3 Animal House - why they were both so embarrassed when they realised they were hugging was beyond me. It was the perfect opportunity for some humorous flirting, thus.**

**Astrid: The dragons; they saved us (looks at Hiccups arm around her and smiles) This is nice but it's not really the time or place for romance. (she stands up while Hiccup holds onto her hand)**

**Hiccup: Come on Astrid, there's always time for romance.**

**Astrid: I'll remind you of that the next time I have a bad cold.**

**Hiccup: Eeww yuck.**


	28. Chapter 28

28 The Times Are A-Changin'

Seeing dragons for the very first time is never easy as Gauk could testify to. But after a few early problems, Sigfus and his men were slowly becoming more confident and less nervous. Fishlegs, Hak and Gauk showed them the best way to behave and interact with the beasts that had joined their merry band of spies and conspirators in the last half hour.

"This is truly amazing" Godfred was still surprised that something so big and frightening could also be so tame and affectionate.

"We felt the same way; Gauk even passed out the first time we set eyes on Windrunner" Hak grinned.

"Don't tell everyone" Gauk protested.

"Don't you worry" Gil admitted "I came pretty close to fainting myself when they all flew in."

"And you had these creatures all the time and didn't tell anyone?" Sigfus was a little annoyed.

"Well Hiccup told me that Captain Thorn knew, but we didn't even tell Hak and Gauk at first" Fishlegs explained.

"HERE THEY COME" Sigrid called out.

Stoick was leading the Dragon Riders back to the spot where he had ordered the others to wait, a mile out of town.

Kylan walked over to Hiccup as he landed with a broad smile on his face; glad to see that the boys were safe, but still quite amazed at the sight of this young man riding on a large black dragon.

"I'm sorry Kylan" Hiccup started "we didn't mean to get captured so easily but…"

"No need to apologise lad" the slender man replied "you were betrayed by Lillian for a few coins; so it wasn't your fault."

Stoick dropped down from Bloodstorms back with a struggling man over his shoulder bound and gagged.

"Who's that you've got there Chief?" Freya asked.

"Ladies and gentlemen" Stoick announced "may I present His Royal Highness King Rekkur of Bolthorn."

Sigfus turned away from the dragons and rushed over towards Stoick. He needed to confirm with his own eyes what his ears had just heard and he was shocked to discover, it was really true.

"How did you..." Sigfus began before realising very little was impossible for a group of Dragon Riders.  
"Fred, we've got to find your brother and fast. Would he still be with his ship?"

"If he's not, then one of the sailors on board would know where to find him" Godfred replied.

"What do you plan to do with the King?" Sigfus asked Stoick.

"His Majesty here, is going to get that fleet of his turned around before I have to sink every last one of them" the Chief informed him.

"I need as much time as I can get Mr. Stoick; how much can you give me before you turn back the ships?"

"Hiccup; how long before that fleet reaches the first island?" Stoick looked to his son who was standing close by, still wondering about why Astrid was now claiming part ownership of his dragon.

"What? Oh... about... two and a half to three days I'd guess, depending on the speed of the warships and the weather; why?"

"Yes why indeed?" Stoick asked Sigfus suspiciously.

"As soon as it becomes generally known that Rekkur is gone and Nainn is away, then there will be an opportunity for any member of Rekkur's court to step up and take the throne. But if more than one person tries to take over, then we could end up with a civil war that would kill thousands and weaken the country. If that happens, an invasion from New Loren over the southern border would be inevitable. But if we can get Godfreds brother Joric in place during the confusion, then not only will we prevent a war, but we may even have a chance to pull off something that I would never have thought possible; a bloodless Coup d'état."

"What's a 'Coodie Tah' and why Captain Thorn?" Astrid asked what all the Vikings were wondering.

"Many years ago" Godfred took up the explanation "before I was even born, Rekkur overthrew my grandfather King Joric Bolthorn the Third. So my father fled to the northern farmlands before the new king could get his hands on his young family. He changed his name to Thorn and with help from some friends of the murdered king, he lived out his days in anonymity as a farmer and fisherman. When the reign of Rekkur started to go downhill, some former court leaders and advisers began to plan a return of the old king's bloodline, but any that were discovered in this plot, were imprisoned and executed by Rekkur."

"That's how I ended up in the northern districts thanks to Joric" Sigfus added "he got me out of Bolthorn when the warrant was first posted for my arrest and Godfred helped me to become 'Lester the tree feller' about five or six years ago. So when you people came to town asking for Sigfus Jolfson..."

"So that's why you pulled the knife on us on that first night" Hiccup said to Godfred.

"Yup; no one had used that name for quite a few years, but my brother knew it would get results."

"So if we can get to Joric quickly" Sigfus continued "then we can try to get him on the throne as King Joric Bolthorn the Fourth, before anyone even finds out that Rekkur is gone."

"I'm very sorry" Stoick interjected "but I did not come here to conquer your kingdom, or to help anyone else conquer it."

"I'm not asking you to do any conquering" Sigfus almost begged "just hold on to Rekkur for a few days before you send those ships back and give us the time we need."

Stoick considered the request for a few minutes before calling an impromptu meeting.

"Gauk; I know I promised I would give you and Hak the opportunity to see to your families on this trip, but I want you to head straight back to Lookout Island with Odd and Olvor. I have to wait and see what happens here; I'll meet you there soon" the Chief then turned to his son.

"Dad, I know you just want to get us all out of here, but consider this; Nainn and his father have made it very plain that they will not leave us in peace. So if Captain Thorn is the heir to his grandfather's throne, then why not help him out as our ally?"

"Maybe son, but I think we should see what Sigfus and his friends can achieve on their own and the only request they have asked of us so far, is time for them to get to the Captain."

"I have a strange feeling I know what you're gonna tell me to do" Hiccup grinned.

"Then why are you just standing there? GO!"

As Hiccup and the young riders readied their dragons for another quick mission, Stoick turned his attention to Olvor.  
"Show me more of this wonderful saddle that Gobber has fitted to Boomer" he grinned as they wandered over to the Zippleback "I assume it can also be utilised for prisoner transport?"

While many Elydonian people had seen the dragons during the rescue of Hiccup and Snotlout, most of them were running and screaming in panic at the time thanks to the first few blasts of Night Fury plasma. The explosive shots had come from out of the night with almost no warning, except for the terrifying noise that would haunt many an Elydonian dream for many years to come. Stoick had decided to give Sigfus a little more help than just holding Rekkur for a few days, but he also decided that the use of the dragons must be tempered with caution, so a few minutes later Sigfus, Godfred, Kylan and Gil fell from the night sky with a loud splash into the harbour by Joric's ship.

"It's amazing how you never know just how someone will react to their first flight on a dragon" Snotlout noted "Kylan didn't seem to mind it at all, much to my surprise."

"Yeah well I think Gil looked at the whole experience in a very similar way as Olaf did" came Fishlegs' comparison "It's not so much the dragon he has trouble with; it's the distance from the ground that he doesn't like."

"Do me a favour Astrid" Hiccup pleaded "take these two self confessed experts in human behaviour over to Gauk's place; I'm gonna stay here for a while and see if I can get some information for my father."

"No worries Babe" she replied "I'll see if we can rustle up a meal for you when you get back. Come on you two; say goodbye to Bolthorn."

"And I can't say that I'm sorry to be going" Snotlout waved and took off into the lead.

"Good to see prison hasn't changed him any" Astrid blew Hiccup a kiss and took off after the speeding Nightmare with Fishlegs and Meatlug following close behind.

Once the more visible dragons had flown off, Hiccup guided Toothless down lower in a wide arc around the ship. Nothing much had happened for about fifteen minutes when Captain Thorn finally appeared on deck with four wet conspirators and signalled to the circling dragon.

"You've heard about my little secret I assume" the Captain mentioned as Hiccup slid from Toothless' back.

"I have indeed Captain Thorn; or is it Captain Bolthorn now?"

"We shall see" Joric nodded "but even after all you've done for us, I still have another request to make."

Before taking his next step with the would be king, the young Dragon Master took a very quick trip up the coast, to have a very quick word with a very slow Olaf. The skipper of the Sharktooth understood what was required of him, but was unsure of what it would achieve. Much to Hiccups surprise, Jorics requested the young Berkian to join him in the castle as the official representative of the Vikings. Soon Joric and Sigfus were striding along the corridor with heads held high and purpose in their steps, while Godfred and Hiccup marched close behind.

The purple shirt that Joric had given Hiccup to wear was made of very fine silk, but the boy had to put in on over his own clothes because it was far too big for him; he needed to get rid of all the extra length by rolling it up under his tunic. The black pants were for ceremonial use and only meant to cover a man to just below the knee, but on Hiccup they reached all the way down to the ankles.

"Remember" Godfred whispered "you're the son of a ruler so that makes you as good as royalty here; so those you meet will expect you to act that way."

"But how do I appear regal?" Hiccup asked.

"Just act rudely" came Sigfus' short reply.

The door to the Throne Room was opened before them by two guards and the four walked into a room full of argument and shouting. Some of the shouters were a little taken aback when Captain Thorn led Hiccup along the central path toward the empty throne, and so the room fell silent.

**In this week edition of 'Hello Berk' magazine available from your local Viking newsagent;  
Read all about Joric Thorn's little secret  
See the latest fashion craze – oversized purple shirts for men  
Take our latest test – What kind of leader are you: a Stoick or a Rekkur  
Plus all the latest gossip from the archipelago as well as Astrid's new mushroom omelette recipe  
Out Now!**

**Don't ask me how, but Moon has become aware he is now known by people all over the world, even without being on YouTube. The smug little feline has become impossible to live with (I may have to get myself a Parrot).**


	29. Chapter 29

How To Deal With A Seasick Dragon

Act IV - Will the real King please stand up

29 No pain no gain and no Nainn

"LORDS AND LADIES OF ELYDONIA; I HAVE NEWS OF KING REKKUR" Joric announced to the room.

Sigfus and Godfred took advantage of the situation while all eyes were on Captain Thorn, moving to a door which led to a small side balcony, where Sigfus could see Gil standing on the castle wall. The crowd of nobles just stood and stared at Captain Joric Thorn and his companion in stunned silence, until one particularly pear shaped Lord put forward his opinion.

"King Rekkur must have fallen from his balcony and either died from the fall, or he was taken by rioting rebels and is probably dead now anyway" he speculated.

"Rekkur still lives" Captain Thorn declared to the dismay of every Lord who had been trying to put himself forward as the next ruler.

"Then since Prince Nainn has no sibling or heir to act as Regent, we must appoint a Lord Protector to prevent any pretenders from trying to take the kingdom in the Kings absence" put forward a particularly nervous Duke who had been trying to take the throne himself only a few minutes ago.

There were general murmurs of several different opinions as to what should be done when Thorn spoke up again.

"Ladies and gentlemen of the Court of Bolthorn; without your knowledge, King Rekkur and Prince Nainn have put this land into an effective state of war. Tonight's attack on the castle was not the work of any rebels, but it was the direct result of Prince Nainn's invasion of the western regions and the kidnapping of its people; so if you should now act rashly, then Bolthorn falls tonight."

This brought a sudden silence to the room that soon erupted into a cacophony of argument and panic. The noise went on and on until a very fat Lord finally succeeded in calling for calm.

"And what, precisely do you have to do with the situation?" he asked Thorn accusingly.

"I have been approached by a representative of the Chief of the western lands, to negotiate a cease fire with Elydonia and Bolthorn."

"So they fear the wrath of Bolthorn that now hangs over their heads" the pear shaped Lord smirked.

"On the contrary; their forces could have destroyed Bolthorn entirely and killed you all. Also they currently stand ready to destroy the fleet of warships King Rekkur has launched against them, but they offer one last chance of peace before they act."

"Tell me Captain" the fat Lord asked "is this new enemy truly able to carry out this threat?"

"It is more than a threat sir and if tonight's destruction was not enough to convince you to talk with these people, then I hold grave fear for the future of the land."

"So you believe they will attempt to conquer Elydonia then" declared the nervous Duke.

"That is not our intention" Hiccup stepped forward "but what we do depends greatly on the decisions you make tonight."

Another matched set of opposing opinions were expressed loudly at the words of the young man. Most of those present had thought him to be some kind of page or servant, but now a few recognised him as one of the boys that Rekkur had sentenced to death.

"How dare you bring an enemy spy into the castle" the fat Lord steamed "he may be the one who killed the King."

"We've already told you that the King is not dead and I am here not to spy or conquer, but to talk" Hiccup informed them calmly.

"And how can we trust the words of an immoral enemy who attacks without warning or reason?" fat Lord said smugly.

"YOUR PRINCE WAS WARNED AND WARNED AND WARNED AGAIN" Hiccup decided it was time to take Godfreds advice and be rude "BUT HE INVADED MY LANDS, KIDNAPPED MY FRIENDS AND TRIED TO EXECUTE ME; AND YOU HAVE THE GAUL TO SAY I HAVE NO REASON, YOU FAT PIG."

"Steady on" Joric tried to hide his smirk.

"Y-y-your lands? Just who do you think you are anyway?" fat Lord had only ever been spoken to like that by Rekkur himself.

"This is the son of Stoick the Vast: Ruler of the Western Archipelago" the Captain introduced Hiccup.

As soon as they heard this, the nervous Duke and the pear shaped Lord both drew their weapons and started to advance on Hiccup, unaware that Godfred had just signalled Sigfus from the door who in turn signalled Gil from the small balcony, who signalled Kylan from the castle wall. Kylan and Toothless were waiting on the aft deck of Thorns ship watching with care for a sign from Gil so when that sign came, Kylan crossed his fingers and hoped that he'd get the signal right.

"Okay then Toothless" he got the dragons attention.

Just as Hiccup had shown him, Kylan placed the back of his fist under his nose, splayed his fingers and pointed up to the wall twenty yards behind King Rekkur private balcony.

"I strongly suggest you both put your weapons away" Hiccup warned them and anyone else thinking of joining them.

"Or what, little man?" the pear Lord asked smugly just as the Night Furies attack struck the wall to their right with a mighty explosion.

The stone wall was both very thick and very well built, so the first blast failed to break through completely. But the noise did make everyone jump in surprise and it also caused a large, cracked convex dent to form in the wall while small pieces of stone and dust sprayed out over everyone within fifteen feet.

"Or that" Hiccup replied "Do you people really want to make an enemy of me rather than talk? It's not as if I'm asking for your complete and total surrender."

"What are you asking for then?" asked a very well dressed woman with far too much makeup on.

"Well not trying to KILL ME would a good start" Hiccup put his hands on his hips "and not kidnapping the people I love sounds to me like a reasonable request."

"Agreed" the porcelain faced woman nodded "anything else?"

"Oh yes indeed madam; I would like you to call off your invasion fleet before we are forced to sink the lot of them."

"I'm very sorry young man, but we do not have any way of getting word to the fleet; and the only person who could give such an order to turn back the fleet would be the king himself."

"Well then" Hiccup surprised them all "I think it's time you appointed a new King; Rekkur and Nainn are too annoying and untrustworthy anyway."

These words made many of the people in the court smile uncontrollably as they all saw their chance for rapid advancement.

"Maybe the representative of the Western Archipelago has a good point" the nervous Duke grinned.

Hiccup was amazed at how much the general attitude they held toward him had improved, as soon as he told them all exactly what they wanted to hear, but he also knew it wouldn't last. Several names were put forward as possible candidates including the Duke and the fat Lord, but Hiccup had his own idea of course.

"I think you should make Captain Joric Thorn your king; he is one of the only people I've met here that I feel like I can trust. And so with him as ruler, you stand a very good chance of having my father as an ally instead of an enemy."

"Oh I am sorry dear boy" the patronising began with the pear shaped Lord "but only someone with the right bloodline could be considered to replace the King."

"Actually, the Captain is the grandson of King Joric the Fourth" Godfred informed the room with a smug grin on his face.

This really put the cat amongst the pigeons as a whole new round of arguing and yelling erupted at this revelation. Although Hiccup friends had known the return of the old Kings heir would not be met with joy by everyone, none of them had foreseen the level of hostility the court officials were now displaying. The idea that nobody would dare to protest the Captains claim to the throne out of fear of being revealed as one of the previous conspirators and killers of the old king, turned out to be nothing more than wishful thinking as calls went out for the castle guards to arrest Thorn and Hiccup.

The sight and sound of guards and soldiers running through the corridors of the castle his friend was in, was far more than Toothless was prepared to put up with; and so he turned away from Kylan and left the ship.

"HEY! Where are you going?" Kylan called out and ran off after the headstrong dragon.

Hiccup and Thorn were trying their best to hold off most of the court officials with only one dagger and a sword between them, but fortunately the Lords, Ladies, Dukes and Earls of Elydonia, where all the kind of people who liked to let someone else make the first move of attack, thus leaving themselves alive and uninjured at the end of the fight. So all Hiccup and Joric had to do, was to keep waving their blades menacingly and everyone else conveniently kept their distance. Meanwhile Sigfus and Godfred were doing everything they could to hold the doors closed, so nobody with any real fighting skills could gain access to the throne room.

"I'm sorry Hiccup, but I really thought we had a chance for a while there" Captain Thorn may have felt far more confident if he knew about the Night Fury currently following Hiccups scent through the castle corridors.

"Don't worry Captain, I'm sure help is on the way" Hiccup reassured Thorn as he thrust his dagger at the fat Lord, who squealed in terror even though the blade was almost five feet away from him.

Hiccup was right to be confident about the coming help, but even he was unaware of exactly how much help was on its way until with another mighty explosion, the weakened wall that Toothless had hit earlier, suddenly exploded causing well dressed Elydonians to run in panic to the other side of the room. Hiccup was a tad disappointed at first because he had hoped that Toothless would now be much closer to the Throne Room instead of still shooting from the ship, but then he noticed the unmistakable aroma of burning magnesium, wafting into the room.

"Astrid; is that you?" he called out.

"Hey Babe; I took the boys back to Gauk's farm like you asked but you didn't say that I had to stay there."

"Hey you'll get no argument from me; I am very glad to see you."

"Of course you are" she grinned "and you're about to be glad to see someone else."

The members of the Bolthorn Court all cowered against the far wall, as the pretty blonde girl on the horrifically frightening dragon hovered outside the newly air conditioned throne room, when sounds of a loud scuffle came from outside of the room.

"SIGFUS, GODFRED; GET AWAY FROM THE DOOR" Hiccup shouted.

No sooner had the two men dived away to either side, when the door exploded into burning splinters and red hot metal before a large black dragon trotted into the room snorting with disdain as he passed by the frightened gentry.

"Whatever happened to our Convince-the-court-to-let-Joric-ascend-the-throne plan?" Kylan asked disappointedly as a small piece of door bounced off his shoulder.

"Great timing bud" Hiccup declared as he got up into the saddle and clicked his leg into the control mechanism.

"Hey Astrid; cover us from the outside while I escort ELYDONIA'S RIGHTFUL KING" he shouted straight at the power hungry courtiers' "back to his ship."

"I'm on it" she replied.

Stormfly turned away from the crumbling wall just as a piece of roof decided that it did not want to be left out of all the fun and fell to the floor.

Toothless sauntered back through the doorway and down the corridor with the Thorn brothers following, while Kylan and Sigfus covering the retreat from behind. Every corner they turned presented Hiccup with a new scene of destruction with busts, plinths, ornamental suits of armour and unconscious guards littering the floor.

"Toothless" Hiccup smiled "Did you do all this? Who's a good boy then?"

They would occasionally run into a group of soldiers advancing on the Throne Room, but they would usually turn and run as soon as they saw the dragon. If they didn't, the roar of the Night Fury was more than enough to send even the bravest ones fleeing in fear.

"PREPARE TO CAST OFF" Captain Thorn called out to the skeleton crew who were still on his ship.

"Astrid and I will hold off the guards while you prepare the ship" Hiccup and Toothless took to the sky just as Astrid and Stormfly set down at the stern.

"Look who I found trying to hold off four soldiers singlehandedly" she smiled as Gil happily dismounted the Nadder.

"Can you go and find your son Gil?" Captain Thorn asked "Tell him to round up the rest of the crew and meet us on Horston beach eleven miles north of here."

The gangway was taken up as soon as the mooring ropes were untied and Gil was ashore. A number of soldiers had made their way up to the castle wall and were about let fly with their crossbows onto both Gil and the ship.

"HICCUP!" Astrid called out.

"I SEE THEM; YOU GO LOW" he replied and Guided Toothless in fast and close to the heads of the men on the wall.

"RIGHT" she agreed as the Nadder swept down over Gil's head and cleared a path for him by knocking over any of the oncoming guards before they even knew what had hit them, while Hiccup did the same thing to the soldiers up on the castle wall.

"These people are crazy" Kylan shook his head as the dragons climbed back into the sky.

"But aren't you glad they're on our side" Godfred laughed.

"Too bloody right" Sigfus agreed as the screaming Night Fury shot passed the castle once again and put a final plasma blast into the Throne Room, as a sign to those still present that they had made a grave mistake in following in the same path as Rekkur and Nainn. Making an enemy of the Dragon Riders was always a bad idea.

Astrid and Stormfly stayed close to Gil until he was safely away from the castle and well into the streets of Bolthorn Town, but as she lifted her dragon higher, she noticed a second ship was entering the harbour below.

"Oh Hiccup my dear, when you have quite finished harassing those poor soldiers..."

"You called Milady?" he answered.

"Olaf's here; do you want to go and tell him how well your plan worked out?"

"Err... no, not really; why don't you..."

"Forget it bright boy, you're on your own" and she turned Stormfly around to do another circle around the castle, looking for trouble.

Hiccup and Toothless dropped down from above the castle and landed on the foredeck of the Sharktooth in front of Olaf and Helga.

"We didn't expect to see the castle so damaged" Olaf declared "did the twins do that?"

"Well... no, it was me and Astrid actually... mostly me" Hiccup admitted "I think you'd better hop on a Gronckle and join me on Captain Thorns ship."

"Alright then lad" Olaf sighed "let's be off then."

**Gobber's Dragon Joke #1: Where do Monstrous Nightmares sleep? Anywhere they want!**

**Absolute proof of precisely how old that joke really is – Vikings were around over a thousand years ago.**

**Although I had to work on both Saturday and Sunday this week, today was a holiday Monday. So I spent most of the day working on this chapter, watching a Japanese movie, chatting to another author in Canada (hi Persephone) and doing housework; all while listening to a Hawaiian radio station. Sometimes ya just gotta love the internet.**

**Hi to Nightmare too; hope the story is coming along well, I'm looking forward to your next chapter.**


	30. Chapter 30

30 The Dragon Express

Stormfly and Astrid set down gently on the mid deck of Captain Thorn's ship soon after Hiccup and Olaf, much to the surprise of the ship's crew. Of course they had known all about the Captains agreement to help Nainns former prisoners to escape, but they had not known about the dragons until only a few hours ago when Astrid and the twins had flown in to rescue Hiccup and Snotlout. Later the boy with the black dragon had returned and left the frightening beast behind, while he had gone off to the castle with the Captain. It was then the sailors had finally begun to realise, what they would have been fighting against if Prince Nainn had ended up in a battle with the Vikings. And so they knew for sure, they were now on the side with the best chance of survival, if a war did eventuate.

"Welcome back miss Astrid" Toki greeted her nervously "I am so glad to see your escape went well."

"Not everything went as planned, but at least we're all still alive."

"What did happen miss?" he asked.

"King Rekkur is what happened; can you keep a secret?" she whispered.

"Anything for you miss" Toki whispered back.

"Rekkur tried to kill the boy I'm going to marry one day" she smiled.

"OH CONGRATULATIONS MISS"

"SSSssshhhh"

"Oh sorry miss; I just got too excited."

Astrid went to the stern of the ship to look back at the sporadic fires that were still burning at Bolthorn Castle, when a crossbow bolt flew past a few feet away from her and struck the mast.

"Oh Stormfly" Astrid called musically.

Even in the dark and at a long distance, the Deadly Nadder was a far better shot than the poor soldier who stood on the far side of the dock. All the sailors who were working on the aft deck at the time, felt very sorry for the man as a ball of flame shot back towards the shore and exploded. A distant yelp and a faint splash were heard soon after.

"Oh well" Toki philosophised "if you're gonna get shot by a dragon, then standing in front of the sea is definitely the best place to be when it happens."

"So what were you trying to do anyway? Olaf asked.

"When I asked you to sail the Sharktooth down here, we had hoped that you would be coming to begin genuine formal talks with the new King of Elydonia" Hiccup sighed "but... well... we underestimated the lust for power that Rekkur's friends possessed."

"You'll find very few of them were Rekkurs friends" Sigfus informed them "he always followed the old adage 'Keep your friends close and your enemies closer' so that is why none of them were too worried about Rekkur being gone."

"You can be sure they'll have an interesting reception waiting for Nainn if he ever comes back" Godfred theorised.

"Hey that's right; Nainn doesn't have a throne to return too" Sigfus realised "we may be able to use that."

"Nainn has always made a habit of running away in the face of danger" Astrid pointed out "so how loyal are his fleet commanders? With Rekkur off the throne, will they continue to follow his son or just pledge themselves to the new leader, whoever it turns out to be?"

"Back when I was in the Royal Navy, some of the ships officers were part of a secret conspiracy to one day get the old kings bloodline back onto the throne through Captain Thorn" Sigfus informed her "but I was betrayed by Julius Pratt, one of my fellow officers. I had to flee for my life, so I don't know how many would join us or what percentage of the crews would follow them if they did."

"That was how I ended up here" Captain Thorn admitted "I was demoted to the oldest and smallest ship for not capturing Sigfus before his escape; if it had been known back then that I had actually helped him, or that I was the grandson of the old king, I'd be dead now."

"So it looks like the best plan may be to just take out the invasion fleet with as few casualties and as little damage as we can and then sort out who is with Thorn, who is with Rekkur and who is with the new king" Hiccup put forward.

"No one should be with the new king" Kylan noted "even we don't know who it will be yet."

"THAT'S IT!" Sigfus stood up and started pacing about.  
"Whoever the new ruler is, they can't get the news to the fleet, but they will have to send out messengers to all the villages and towns about the change in government. The Lords and Ladies of Bolthorn Castle will be relying on horses to get the word out, but our friends here will able to get information out to the people much faster and we can tell them the whole truth; I just hope they believe it."

"Astrid" Hiccup asked "Who was back at Gauk's farm when you left Fishlegs and Snotlout there?"

"The only other dragons I saw there were the Nadders Windrunner and Adelinde so I'd guess Odd and Gauk; your father must have taken the rest back to Lookout Island with the former king Rekkur."

Thorn took over from Sigfus in pacing the deck.  
"Hiccup; could you and your friends fly my crew out to their home towns when we meet up with them at Horston Beach?"

"As long as they're not afraid of heights... or dragons I suppose."

"Then if we assume that it will take the Nobles most of the night to sort themselves out after what we put them through, and then considering the nearest town is about forty minutes by fast horse, then we should be able to get the news out ahead of them and spreading throughout the whole country before the following sunset."

"Two other things to consider" Kylan pointed out "the bad news is with all the destruction that the dragons brought down onto the castle tonight, they won't dwell on the weaker Lords and Nobles anymore. Those with stronger personalities will soon be amassing numbers behind them so a new ruler can't be far away, but the good news is we know there is now a race on to win over the rest of the land and they don't."

"Ah" Sigfus lit up "so they won't be panicking about reaching out to the whole country..."

"Giving us the advantage all the way from here, to the borderlands" Kylan said smugly.

"Right then; Astrid will go and get the other riders and then she'll meet you at Horston beach" Hiccup informed them.

"How will you find us; you've never been to Horston beach" Joric pointed out.

"Ships are easy to spot from the air" Astrid smiled "even by moonlight."

"There's a small town called Staggshund east of Bolthorn where three roads branch off to the eastern borderlands; if you can drop me off there on your way, then I can keep an eye out for any dispatch riders that come through" Kylan suggested "and maybe even slow them down a little."

Astrid got the nod from Hiccup and was soon flying off eastward with Kylan while the others continued their plotting.

"She sure is quick to act that girl" Godfred noted.

"Yeah" Hiccup smiled "sometimes I think I'd be lost without her."

Toki suppressed a small squeal from nearby that made the others turn to look at him.  
"Oh it's all so sweet" he stated with a tear in his eye.

"What's up with him?" Hiccup asked the captain.

"Don't worry about Toki; a good man and a competent sailor, but he gets very emotional sometimes."

"Drop me off on the western side of Staggshund" Kylan asked Astrid as they left the ships and the still smouldering castle behind them.

Stormfly flew on through the night until the riders could see the faint glow of two burning torches at the town's western entrance.

"Thanks Astrid" Kylan called out as the girl and dragon lifted up into the sky once more and turned slightly north towards Gauk's home.

It only took another twelve minutes before Stormfly was walking over to the fire where two boys and four dragons rested peacefully.

"Wake up you guys; we've got a revolution to incite" Astrid called down from the Nadders back "I'm headed over to Gauk's house while you two get the dragons ready to go"

Snotlout stirred a little as Stormfly glided off down the hill.

"Did you catch any of that?" he sleepily asked.

"She wants us to get up and prep the dragons" Fishlegs replied.

"Okay... wake me when you're done."

"Will do... zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz."

Fortunately for Astrid, there was more life down at the house where Gauk had been telling his wife Karin and her brother Horry about life in the Western Archipelago and what awaited them there; with a little help Odd.

"So you expect me to believe that these dragons are totally safe?" Karin asked suspiciously.

"Of course not, but they are no more dangerous to be around than your horses or any other animal for that matter" Odd put forward.

A knock at the door brought an abrupt end to the conversation as Odd and Gauk prepared to hide.

"Who is it?" Horry called out.

Everyone sighed with relief at the sound of Astrids voice so Gauk rose to open the door.

"Astrid is one of our finest Dragon Riders" Odd informed the pair "so she should be able to answer any of your concerns about living with dragons."

"And I'd be happy too, but not tonight" Astrid revealed as she entered "Captain Thorn needs us to meet him at a place called Horston Beach; I've got the boys prepping the dragons so we should head off as soon as we can."

"Righty ho Astrid" Odd arose to leave.

"Wait a moment" Karin protested "are you trying to tell me that this child is permitted to ride on a dragon."

Odd could not help but snicker as Astrid's eyes went as wide as dinner plates.

"Hey; I was only the second person ever to own and ride a dragon and besides, Little Freya started riding when she was five."

"How old is she now?" Gauk asked.

"Six" Odd replied.

"And you can learn a lot when you're a Dragon Rider" Astrid continued to defend herself "For example..."

Astrid took a quick look around and sniffed a bit.  
"You have two children; a boy who's about Little Freyas age and a girl slightly younger than me. They are reasonably well behaved, but don't always do as they're told."

Astrid pulled the passage door open and two small bodies fell into the room. They soon picked themselves up and began to apologies to their mother, but the young girl could not take her eyes of Astrid who just stood there with her hands on her hips and a cocky grin on her face.

"You never know when tracking skills will come in handy" she smiled "now we had better get going."

"I'll be home as soon as I can" Gauk kissed his stunned wife and left with the others.

The two children ran to the door and were greeted with the impressive sight of a Deadly Nadder, but that was four short of the dragons Astrid expected to see.

"Where are those idiots?" Astrid wondered as she climbed into her saddle.

"Please excuse me while I go and kick a couple of lazy Trolls" she said in a huff and flew off.

**During my lifetime I have travelled through a war zone and been surrounded by men with automatic weapons. I've swam with a twelve foot Hammerhead shark and assisted in the rescue of two young Dolphins. I've been trapped in a sea cave blowhole, been engulfed in a large school of stinging Jellyfish and chauffeured celebrities among many other interesting things (all true). My mother says I should write of these experiences but the only things I want to write about, are the adventures of a group of fictitious Dragon Riders.**

**She thinks I'm crazy.**


	31. Chapter 31

31 Late Night Entertainment

Being able to tell a good story was one of the most important skills to have when it came to bringing news to a sleepy village a few hours before midnight and it was something Kylan would have learn quickly as he rang the small bell in the town square. There were a few people still awake and having a drink at the local tavern, but most of the residence of Staggshund were aroused from their peaceful slumber by the loud clanging as it echoed through the town; Kylan continued the noise until he had a good crowd.

"Good people of Staggshund; I bring important news from Bolthorn."

News from the castle, although rare was not uncommon, but to have a herald come so late in the evening was almost unheard of. So the people expected some pretty exciting information and they would not be disappointed.

"Rekkur has fallen and is no longer King over Elydonia" Kylan began.

"He's dead?" a few of the townsfolk wondered.

"No but he has been removed from the throne."

"So Nainn is King Now then" someone shouted and Kylan decided that he had better tell them the whole story, with a few embellishments of course but he started out with the news that they were wanting to hear; the name of the new King.

"The new ruler of Elydonia is none other than King Joric the Fifth of Bolthorn."  
The mention of that name brought gasps of astonishment from the crowd, thanks to the habit that all people have to romanticise the past.

Old King Joric the Fourth was not at all a bad man, but there was nothing really special about him or the time of his reign and that was why Rekkur was able to depose him easily so long ago. But as the years went by, every brutal incident with the castle guard and every visit from the tax collector made the citizen of Elydonia dream more and more for the 'Good ol' days' of King Joric. Now the children and grandchildren of those who remembered him directly were quite accustomed to hearing the tales of the kind and noble monarch and the golden age of his rule. Most of which was untrue, but it didn't hurt what Kylan was trying to achieve at the moment.

"Recently King Rekkur decided to invade and conquer the lands in the western seas..."  
At this, all mumbling stopped as the listeners expectations changed from political intrigue to a tale of war and monsters.

"He sent Prince Nainn out to claim all of the lands for himself, not caring what disasters he may bring down on the people of Elydonia."

"Typical" someone mumbled.

"And Joric the Fifth did accompany the Prince as the ship's Captain."  
Gasps.

"It was on his journey that Nainn did encounter the infamous and legendary warrior tribe of Berk."  
More gasps.

"The Warrior Chief showed surprising mercy and sent the ship on its way with orders not to return, but Prince Nainn did decide to 'Poke the sleeping bear' as the saying goes, and he invaded one of the mighty Chiefs islands and he did kidnap a woman and a young girl."

Normally the people of Staggshund (or any town for that matter) would be too scared to even listen to any talk against the King or Prince. But since Rekkur was no longer King, then they felt the time had come to rip into him and so many started to boo.

"The Chief was furious and gathered his forces to invade Elydonia, but Captain Joric wisely met with the mighty man's son and calmed his anger by agreeing to give his people back; thus saving Elydonia from invasion."  
Cheering.

"But then Nainn and King Rekkur angered the mighty Chief by capturing his son and trying to execute him. Rekkur also sent another invasion fleet back toward the west, so the Warriors of Berk came to Bolthorn castle to destroy it totally."  
Still more gasps.

"The Warrior Chief declared that he did not trust Rekkur, who did not keep his word (more booing) and so he attacked the castle and carried Rekkur off as his prisoner. But before the invaders could destroy the castle, Joric the Fifth bravely confronted them again and demanded that now the man who had wronged them was gone from power, the Warriors of Berk must leave Elydonia in peace. Having witnessed how Joric had saved our country and knowing of his royal bloodline, many people called on him to ascend his grandfather's throne and even the Warriors of Berk agreed this was a King that they could trust; so it was done and the Chiefs forces withdrew."

"LONG LIVE KING JORIC" someone cried and a new round of cheering rose up again, but now that the people were on Joric's side it was time for Kylan to get them angry.

"King Joric the Fifth sought to solidify the new peace with the mighty western warriors and he invited the son of the Chief to join him in formal peace talks, but the Lords and Ladies of the Court of Rekkur did not want to lose the life of privilege and luxury they enjoyed thanks to your taxes. So they all decided to kill the new King and the son of the mighty Chief; bringing the war that Rekkur had sought down on top of us all."  
More booing; a lot more.

"Not caring for his own life, King Joric called on his allies and saved the Chiefs son by fighting off the rebellious Lords or Rekkur. He escorted the young man out of the castle before the evil plot could be acted on" Kylan was sure that Hiccup would not mind this little twist in the story.

"Now the men and women of Rekkur's court are trying to overthrow King Joric the Fifth just as Rekkur did himself when he murdered Joric the Fourth so many years ago. Soon they will send word out telling of how they have set up their false king in Bolthorn Castle, but they will be too late for as I tell you this news King Joric is travelling to the north and word is going out to the four corners of Elydonia about the start of his reign as King."

The people began to cheer again and to chant 'Long live the King' but as the revelry died down, Kylan brought them the final message.

"I have one last piece of news for you all; the false King, whoever he is, may send out riders to try and fool the people of Elydonia into believing the lies about his new reign, so we must not listen to them and we must stop them from spreading the false king's lies throughout the land."

"You want us to fight against the castle soldiers?" somebody yelled in fear "they'll slaughter us."

In just a few seconds, Kylan had lost them so he knew he had to quickly tell them what they needed to hear.

"No friends no; the King does not expect you to fight the forces of Bolthorn. If the false king sends out an army against you, King Joric says save yourselves and send word to him. He will lead his forces to protect the people of the land."  
Kylan felt very confident about this because he could not envision the forces of Bolthorn standing up against a dragon or two.

For the next few hours, Dragon Riders flew back and forth delivering sailors and conspirators to the towns and villages around Bolthorn and many different versions of Kylans story were told throughout the land. Almost everyone who heard the tale was overjoyed to hear that Rekkurs reign was over; except for a few tax collectors and other such lackeys who decided the best thing for them to do, was to sneak out of town during the celebrations and go to find some other place to settle where their faces were unknown. Kylan found a spot to rest while some of the people of Staggshund stood watch for any riders that may arrive on the road from Bolthorn, while over at Horston beach the Vikings and their allies bedded down after a long day, with the promise of another long one ahead of them.

"Wake up lazy and eat your eggs" Astrid poked the sleeping Hiccup in the face with a small plate.

"Huh... what..." Hiccups mind slowly began to spark up but he was still feeling a little dopey.

"Come on Babe, I know you had a long day yesterday so we let you sleep in a bit, but the sun will be up in half an hour so shift your butt."

Hiccup sat up with a soft groan, smiled at Astrid and lay back down again.

"HEY" Astrid yelled and kicked him in the good leg.

"ALRIGHT alright" he sat up again and took the offered plate "Where did you get these?"

"Gauk's wife and family arrived by horse and cart at first light and guess what; she brought chickens."

"Why?" Hiccup asked as he stuffed the food down as quickly as he could manage.

"I dunno; maybe she doesn't know we already have them on Berk."

"No I mean why did they come here during the night?"

"Well from what I understand, Gauk's kids saw me fly off on Stormfly last night and they thought that was pretty cool. So before Karin knew what had hit her, they had both packed their bags and hitched up the horse."

"Wow; how old are they?"

"Err... Rowan is seven and Dianta is thirteen... I think."

"Hey that reminds me" Hiccup smiled and kissed her cheek "Happy birthday Astrid."

Astrid's eyes did their best dinner plate impersonation again as she got her head around what he had just said.

"Oh no; I forgot YOUR birthday" she said in panic.

"I wouldn't worry about it; you were very busy being kidnapped at the time and besides, I did forget about yours last year."

"Yeah but that was only because you'd blanked out for a few days after you lost your leg."

"And I remember that you were very understanding about it so I owe you one; thanks for the breakfast" Hiccup handed back the empty plate and lay back down.

"No ya don't" Astrid kicked him again; in the butt this time.

"I'M UP" Hiccup sprang to his feet, well... foot, but still he wobbled a bit as he wandered off to see what had been going on that morning. Astrid could not help but smile to herself as he stumbled down the beach yawning.

**Facts:  
*Peoples opinion of you at school will cease to be important within a month of you finishing your education  
*Hello Kitty is not a true representation of the feline persona  
*The best 'Energy Drink' I've found is a bottle of cheap carbonated mineral water with a squirt of lemon or lime juice in it (and you don't have an energy crash a few hours later)  
*Dogs are cute and fun, but cats are funnier on YouTube  
*Summer is great and winter sucks  
*I should never leave the pantry door ajar when Moon is inside the house**


	32. Chapter 32

32 King 1 and King 2

The scene that greeted Hiccup on Horston Beach, was one of well organised chaos with the Sharktooth beached nearby and Joric's ship anchored offshore. Olaf had sent two of his crew off on their Gronckles to patrol the area, while the other two were out with Fishlegs delivering some more of King Joric's men to the outer towns and villages. Spreading the word of Rekkurs fall and the return of the old Kings grandson was still a high priority. Snotlout and Hookfang were circling high above Bolthorn Castle watching for any sign of messengers being sent or of any military movements, but to Hiccups great surprise Stormfly and Toothless were frolicking ('yep; frolicking is the only word to describe it' he thought) with two children that he could only assume belonged to Gauk.

"Was one of your dragons responsible for that?" Hiccup turned to see the woman who had asked the question, was looking at his leg; or to be more precise, the lack of one.

"Ah you must be Mrs. Gauk; I'm Hiccup."

"Just answer me" she repeated "did a dragon take your leg?"

"I'm not gonna lie to you about it, but no a dragon did not take my leg. My people were once at war with the dragons and they did take many legs, arms and lives; even my own mother. But we found out the dragons were slaves to a monster that controlled them, so we teamed up with the dragons to defeat it. Although we succeeded in that battle I did lose my leg. I would have lost my life, if that black dragon over there playing with your children, hadn't saved me. It saved me again yesterday when Rekkur tried to kill me."

"I'm finding it very difficult to accept all this" Karin shook her head and Hiccup could see she was frightened.

"Believe me I do understand; the first time I got close to Toothless he could have killed me, but he chose not to. Although my people say that it was me who brought peace with the dragons, it was also him. Watch this."

Toothless was running around in a small circle keeping his tail a few feet ahead of Rowan who laughed with delight as he chased the black dragon around and around. Hiccup timed his attack well so that Toothless had his head turned away. When the young man leapt, he struck Toothless with such force, that the dragon rolled over and tumbled down the beach with Hiccup holding onto him in a tight headlock. The Night Fury let out a mighty roar as it fell and twisted its whole body in a violent move until it was able to break free and take full advantage of its size and weight once more. Hiccup got back up as well and the two combatants rushed at each other both roaring as loud as they could.

Karin was in a mild case of shock, as were her children and every other Elydonian present. They all watched what they thought would be Hiccups last moments of life before being slaughtered, but Olaf brought the whole thing back into perspective when he shouted out his support.

"COME ON TOOTHLESS DON'T LET A BOY THAT SMALL GET THE BETTER OF YOU."

Now that the Night Fury was back on its feet and ready, Hiccup didn't stand a chance and as they both rushed headlong into each other, Hiccup was thrown onto his back as the dragon roared once again right into his face. But then to almost everyones surprise Toothless didn't bite Hiccups head off but instead he started hitting it lightly with his right claw.

"Alright alright you win but just so you know, it wasn't your strength that beat me; it was your breath; 'Phew' what a smell."

Toothless let Hiccup stand up again and literally laughed at the young man who dared to try and defeat him, then he pushed his nose into the small of Hiccups back as he walked over towards Karin.

"Stormfly is a far more civilised dragon" Astrid remarked as she approached "she much prefers to play fetch or hide and seek rather than all that uncouth play fighting."

"Where as you love a good scuffle" Hiccup grinned "but only with someone you can beat easily."

"It's not my fault you're such a pushover" she smirked.

"Alright you two; give it up" interrupted Olaf "Hiccup has some catching up to do."

"You're lucky Olaf stepped in and saved you" Astrid said smugly "I was looking forward to knocking you down a peg or two."

"Yeah I'm sure you were and I will be forever grateful to him for saving me."

"YOU CAN'T HIDE BEHIND OLAF FOREVER" Astrid called out as Hiccup walked off.

"Excuse me miss" Toki bent down and whispered in Astrid's ear "if he's the one you're gonna marry, then why do you want to fight with him?"

"Well I'm not gonna let Toothless have all the fun and besides; sometimes I let him win" she grinned "That can be fun too, it f you catch my meaning."

Olaf took Hiccup over to where King Joric had set up some maps on a table he had brought over from his ship.

"I'm not saying it's a bad table" Odd was explaining to the King "it's just that the other one was better... and bigger."

"You mean the one you stole?"

"Err... yes... sorry about that but we err... needed it."

"What on earth for?" King Joric asked "You didn't even take the legs."

"Well we wanted a copy of your chart and we didn't have anything to copy it onto so..."

"Are you trying to tell me that you drew a copy of my chart..."

"Scratched actually."

"YOU SCRACTHED IT INTO THE TABLE?" the King was a little distraught "I loved that table; it was my mothers."

"Sorry... we can get it back to you if you want" Odd reassured the King.

"But you cut the legs off."

"Yes we did."

"With an axe."

"Well... yes... sorry."

"Oh well... I guess it's a small price to pay for all the help you're giving us now. Were you the one who knocked me out with the stone hammer?"

"Ah... no; that was Mulch, but to be fair you did just call him an illiterate barbarian" Odd pointed out.

"Did I? I suppose it was unfair of me to call him a barbarian."

"Oh he's a barbarian alright, but he can read almost as well as Little Freya. He does have some trouble with long words though."

"I see the Elydonian/Viking diplomatic relationship talks are coming along well" Hiccup noted.

"Yes indeed" said the King.

"Huh?" said Odd.

"I'll explain later" Hiccup smiled at the confused Viking "So what have you got to show me?"

King Joric slid over a map.  
"What you're looking at here, is the entire west coast of Elydonia and the borders of the other countries on all sides; from the Northern Wastelands around to Gondland and Mandoria on the eastern border, and New Loran to the south. Last night we sent people to all seven towns around Bolthorn and a few further out. Since first light your Dragon Riders have dropped of members of my crew at every town marked with a circle."

Hiccup poured over the map for a minute where about one in every five towns were marked.

"Well you've got Bolthorn castle well and truly surrounded, so what's next?"

"Ships" Olafs eyes lit up.

"Rekkur sent every ship in Bolthorn with Nainn as his invasion force" King Joric noted "so that only leaves the five ships in or near the southern town of Port Yoric. Those vessels are keeping an eye out for the New Loran navy. Two more are patrolling the north coast for... well... Vikings actually, but not you. There are other ones who invade North Elydonia sometimes."

"So you want to get those Commanders on side before they get word from Bolthorn then."

"Exactly right Hiccup, but they won't be as easy to convince as the rest of the population. The first thing we have to do is make contact and tell them Rekkur is gone and Nainn is sailing into a trap. Hopefully when they find out he won't be coming back, they will follow me before Rekkurs court places another king on the throne, but some may want to return to Bolthorn first before they choose."

"If we are going to give the naval leaders a choice, then shouldn't we find out who the Lords of Bolthorn pick?" Helga pointed out."

"Ah good point; so maybe we should send someone to Kylan in Staggshund and tell him to get the information from the first despatch rider; if he hasn't already."

"Err... slight problem Joric" Odd noted "I told Snotlout to scare off anyone who looked official coming out of Bolthorn and heading out into the country."

"Don't worry" Hiccup told them "you all keep working on a plan to reach the ships; Astrid and I will go and find Snotlout and Hookfang."

"When you've done that, how would you like to head back to Vesterham and find Godfred? He's got a few things that may come in handy."

"It still feels a little weird flying over Elydonia so openly during the day" Astrid noted "weird, but good."

"We'll just have to try and stay high enough, so as not to be noticed too much. And don't forget to land in isolated areas outside of the towns" Hiccup replied "we don't want to panic anyone."

"Except the ones we want to panic" Astrid grinned.

"Yes well... I am hoping that they are still shaking a bit after we destroyed the Throne Room last night."

"Hey Babe; if we succeed in all this, where will King Joric put his throne?"

"Oh he can still use the Throne Room... when it's not too windy."

"Monstrous Nightmare dead ahead" Astrid called out "and it looks like he's about to attack someone."

When Astrid first set eyes on the distant dragon, it was flying straight and level but as soon as she had spotted it, Snotlout had gone into a shallow dive.

"Come on bud we gotta hurry."

Hiccup brought the tail fin in halfway as Toothless gathered speed with three powerful beats of his wings as he and Hiccup dove sharply down towards the ground. As they grew nearer to Snotlout, Hiccup could see four horses and their riders moving fast on the road to Staggshund with the dragon ahead and above, lining up to put a fire burst onto the road in front of them. Toothless levelled off as Hiccup pulled back on the reins bringing the Night Fury into range just as Hookfang opened his jaws to shoot.

"Now Toothless" he signalled the dragon to fire its plasma flame straight onto the path of the Nightmare. The two attacks came together high above the ground in a massive explosion that caused the horses below to rear up in fear. One of the riders fell from his mount, but the others helped catch the animal and soon all four were back on their way to Staggshund.

"YOU IDIOT" Snotlout shouted.

"Oh come on; let's not start that again."

"What did you do that for? I thought I was supposed to stop the messengers from getting out of Bolthorn."

"Yes... well... there've been some developments" Hiccup informed the angry Snotlout.

"Well maybe I should... develop... you."

"What does that even mean?" Hiccup asked confused.

"JUST SHUT UP AND TELL ME WHATS GOING ON" Snotlout was turning very red.

"How can I both shut up and tell..."

"TELL ME!"

"Stop playing with the poor boy Hiccup" Astrid rebuked Hiccup as she and Stormfly glided in between them.

"I wasn't playing with him I swear..." but Astrid wasn't listening.

"We now want the riders to get as far as Staggshund because King Joric needs to know who has been placed on the throne of Bolthorn. Then he can give all the naval Commanders a choice of who to follow and we will know who's ships to sink" Astrid grinned.

"I err... don't think we'll be sinking..." Hiccup started.

"Well why didn't you just say so" Snotlout grinned as he turned Hookfang around towards Staggshund.

"Why did you tell him we'd be sinking ships?" Hiccup was frustrated with Astrid.

"Oh come on Babe; didn't you see that smile on his face?"

"Yes but..."

"The big dimples on his chubby little cheeks?"

"But that was no reason too..."

"And after you'd spoiled all his fun with the horse riders as well."

"But I had to stop him from..." but Astrid was giving him 'those eyes'.  
"Arrgh! Alright let's go then" and he turned Toothless to follow the Nightmare.

"You still love me; don't you?" Astrid smiled.

"Maybe; but you do frustrate me sometimes."

"You do; I can tell."

"AARRRGH!"

"You're turning redder than Snotlout did Babe."

_**If there is one thing that annoys me more than anything in the world it's that bloody lol cat. 'I can has cheezeburger' PLEASE! Who speaks like that, really? Even the grammar and spellchecker on Marty's computer agrees with me. Can you even comprehend what it is like for me to have to sit here and watch him laugh uncontrollably while looking at those overly photo shopped little fuzz balls and NO I AM NOT JELIOUS.  
I'd start my own site called 'lol Marty' if it weren't for two small problems; firstly I can't operate a smartphone camera with these paws and secondly THE UGLY SPUD NEVER DOES ANYTHING REMOTELY FUNNY he just sits there at his computer all day typing merrily away and pretending like his stories really matter.  
And don't think that the comical bits show him to be a man of wit and skill; just pick up any Terry Pratchett novel and you'll soon see where he steals it all from. But then to top it all off, last night he had the gall to give me the same flavour of Chunky Chicken Pieces in Jelly for the second day in a row. I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO LIVE LIKE THIS! - Uh oh... gotta go 'cause I just heard the toilet flush. CURSE HIM AND HIS HEALTHY DIGESTIVE SYSTEM!**_


	33. Chapter 33

33 Friend or Faux Pas?

"So where's Kylan then?" Snotlout asked as they walked towards the town.

"How should I know" Astrid replied "I dropped him off here late last night and then left, so I assume we'll find him in..."

"HALT! Who goes there?" Two very rustic looking gentlemen jumped out from behind from behind trees and challenged the three Dragon Riders with farming tools.

"Ah... hello" Hiccup tried to look friendly, but Snotlout wasn't helping as he pulled out his knife.

"Who are you and where do you come from?" the man on the left asked threateningly.

"I'm Hiccup, this is Astrid..."

"Hi" she waved.

"And the one who is over reacting as usual, is Snotlout."

"Hey" Snotlout protested "they're the ones who attacked us."

"They didn't attack us Snotlout" Hiccup tried to calm the situation "they challenged us just as they should. These men are obviously from the town of Staggshund and are checking out everyone who is travelling on the road from Bolthorn during this time of uncertainty; is that right gentlemen?"

"What... err... yeah that's right; so what are you doing this far out without horses?"

"We've come out here to find a man named Kylan. We believe he came here last night with some important news."

"Yes he did and he told us not to trust anyone from Bolthorn, so maybe you should just turn back while you've still got all your blood inside of you."

"Is that any way to speak to personal friends of King Joric the Fifth" Astrid said accusingly "and besides; we rode down from the north but knowing that you would be on the lookout for riders from Bolthorn, we left our mounts back in the forest. So just get out of our... wait a minute... what happened to the four riders who were headed this way a short time ago?"

The two men looked at each other guiltily and lowered their makeshift weapons.  
"We heard a loud noise in the sky and then we saw some strange things flying around. While we were watching them... the riders just... rode by; you must have heard it too."

"Err... yes... we did" Astrid admitted "perfectly understandable. Come on boys; let's go find Kylan."

"Bye" Snotlout waved and the three ran off down the road.

By the time they arrived in town they had just missed all the commotion as the townspeople now held two of the rider's captive with their legs in stocks.

"Hey Kylan; I see you met with some success" Hiccup noted.

"Yeah we got one of them when he stopped to pass on his news, and one of the others as he rode through but the other two got away. They won't get to the next town for about an hour if you can help."

"You two wanna see what you can do?" Hiccup said to Astrid and Snotlout.

"Are you sure this time?" Snotlout crossed his arms suspiciously.

"Look; I said I was sorry..."

"No you didn't" Astrid interjected."

"You're not helping Astrid" Hiccup face sunk into his hands.

"Two of the villagers can use the messengers horses to take your friends back to their... err... other horses" Kylan offered and soon Astrid and Snotlout were off on their appointed tasks.

"Okay then" Kylan looked at the two messengers sternly while the people of Staggshund gathered round to listen "would you like to tell us why you were sent here?"

"We were told to pass on the information about King Rekkurs death" the first man told them.

"AGAIN WITH THE DEAD REKKUR" Hiccup threw up his arms in disgust "how many times do I have to tell you people that he's still ALIVE?"

"Calm down Hiccup; of course they would tell everyone that Rekkur is dead and I assume he was either killed by invading barbarians or betrayed by one of his own naval officers who tried to steal the throne?" Kylan asked the men.

"Well both actually; how did you know?" the first replied.

"A pretty standard way of getting the people of Elydonia to accept the new King; by making him look like an honourable man who stepped up to do his duty while mourning the loss of the dead king he loved. So who is this 'man of the people' then?"

"King Boron is our new monarch" the second rider revealed.

"Boron?" Kylan was surprised "Why would they..."

"Who's Boron?" Hiccup asked.

"Well formerly, he was a Duke from the southern districts. A good man in general, but he's not who I would call a leader of leaders."

"I think I saw this guy in the Throne Room" Hiccup informed them "tall, very pale, shakes a lot and looks like he's only a few seconds away from losing his lunch."

"That's the guy" Kylan grinned as everyone laughed, even the two captive messengers.

"Boring Boron of Bolthorn; now there's an alliteration I could do without but you're right Kylan; why would they choose him?" Hiccup asked.

One of the older townsfolk offered up an explanation.  
"If the nobles suddenly found themselves 'sans king' and more than one member of the court had some claim of ascension, then many of those who felt sure that they would lose the throne, would push for a weak king they could easily control, while they set themselves up for a grab at the top seat later."

"It's as good a theory as any I suppose" Kylan shrugged.

"You people seem to know a lot about what's been going on" the second rider noted "whereas we were just given instructions of what to tell everyone; so what did happen to Rekkur?"

Kylan looked at Hiccup and decided that it may not be safe to tell them who he was, so he gave them the short short version.

"Rekkur made an enemy of a foreign power, even after they offered to make peace so... they took him."

"They took him?" the men looked confused

"Well he kept trying to kill them and take their home for his own."

"So why not let Boron be the next king then? If not him, then we only get another one of Rekkurs group of nobles anyway, don't we?"

Kylan looked at the two men closely.  
"The only two people with a genuine claim to the throne are Prince Nainn, who is currently sailing into a trap of his own making and... King Joric the Fifth of Bolthorn."

The townsfolk relished the looks on the two men's faces at the mention of that name.

"You people have to let us go" the first one declared "we have to spread the word about King Joric."

"You're too late" one of the villagers called out "it's already been spread throughout the land."

"Not in Bolthorn and that's where we want to go."

Kylan let them go.

The two villagers who had taken Snotlout and Astrid out of town soon returned and were surprised at first to see that the captives were free and waiting for the return of their horses, but all was soon explained.

"That's right" Hiccup told them "just take me back on the road to Bolthorn and I'll tell you where to let me off."

"He knows what he's doing" Kylan grinned.

"Maybe you should come too" Hiccup offered "everything seems in order here."

"Thanks but no; I want to stay close to Bolthorn and make sure that no troops are sent out to keep the populous in order."

"Okay; make for Horston Beach if you need us, or light a bonfire; we'll see it."

As soon as Hiccup and Toothless were together again they circled the skies over Staggshund until they spotted Snotlout and Hookfang.

"How did it go Snotlout?" Hiccup asked.

"I saw one of the messengers on the northeast road and put a couple of fire bursts fifty feet in front of his horse and he soon turned back; I think Astrid headed due east."

"Okay then; head back to Horston Beach and tell Joric that the name he wanted was Boron."

"Then what?" Snotlout asked.

"Rest Hookfang for a while, then if Joric or Olaf don't need anything done urgently, patrol around Bolthorn castle. Report anything out of the ordinary like troops moving out, or anything burning."

"When do I get to sink a ship?"

"If Joric can get the ships onside, then we won't have to sink them."

"And if they don't join up with him?" Snotlout grinned.

"Then we try to capture them first but if we can't..."

"Then we sink 'em" Snotlout flew off with glee.

"DON'T SINK ANYTHING UNLESS JORIC OR OLAF TELLS YOU!"

"Yeah yeah" Snotlout replied as he departed.

After another ten minutes of searching, Hiccup finally set eyes on Stormfly hiding in a small wooded area not far from a small village so he and Toothless set down nearby.

"Stay here with Stormfly bud" Hiccup told his dragon and walked off towards the road.

The village was well in sight when he spotted someone coming in the other direction and it wasn't long before he could clearly see who.

"Hey Babe; did you get the information about Boron from your guys?"

"Sure did; Snotlouts on his way to tell Joric but... how did you know?"

"Well I wasn't sure if the messengers at Staggshund would say much, so rather than just turn this rider back, I just flew on ahead and beat him here. One of Joric's men was here so the village already knew about the rival Kings. When the rider from Bolthorn arrived, we had more to tell him that he had to tell us."

"Wonderful; so I guess we can head off to Vesterham now" Hiccup sighed with relief as the young couple wandered back to their dragons.

"There was one other thing he told us; twelve riders were sent out from Bolthorn in total this morning with four going north and four going south, so maybe we should check on the other villages and towns."

"Nah I don't think so; Joric's men had all the inner towns covered last night. I think I'd better start trusting them to do their jobs instead of checking up all the time" Hiccup decided as he took Astrids hand.

"You know" he smiled "it's really quite beautiful here; if it wasn't for all the kidnappings and attempted executions, I think I would really enjoy just wandering this land with you for a while."

"I'm not gonna argue with you about that" she replied "but unfortunately now is not the time for romance; we've got work to do."

"Nonsense Astrid; there's always time for romance."

"Not when Gobber starts singing; then it's time to bury your head in the sand."

"Gobber" Hiccup suddenly stopped "I haven't thought about him or Gothi, Little Freya or any of the others for days. I wonder how they're all doing?"

"I'm sure they're all fine back on Berk" but Astrid was worried about Hiccup "you're still very tired aren't you?"

"I'm okay" he lied "after all you've been going at full speed lately too."

"But Sigrid and I had a lot of time to rest on the voyage from Lookout Island, and I know that you've had a few sleepless nights since we left home a week ago."

"Well it can't be helped; I'll just have to do the best I can for now and try have a good sleep tonight."

"That's not good enough; when you were unconscious after the fight with the Red Death, your father had to order me to sleep after an all night return trip to Berk, even though I didn't want to."

"But you're the one that woke me up this morning" Hiccup pointed out.

"Yeah and I think I was wrong."

"Well there's nothing that can be done about it now; we have to get to Vesterham."

"True but flying on Toothless you have to stay alert, so you're going on Stormfly; she'll follow me and Toothless while you lie down on her back and rest."

"Yeah you're right; the nap will do me good."

"And we all need a well rested Hiccup" she smiled and kissed his cheek "happy birthday for a few days ago."

"How did you know I wanted a kiss for my birthday?"

"Just a guess; now how do I get to Vesterham?" Astrid asked.

"You have to go in a big spiral; west to the sea then north for an hour till you spot a sea cave in a cliff face. Head west to the road and follow it south to Vesterham. Turn southeast a bit until you see a small house next to a big barn near the sea; that's Godfreds place. If he's not home we'll leave the dragons there and walk back into town."

"Right; now get your cute little butt up onto my dragon" Astrid demanded.

"Don't you mean our dragon?" Hiccup smiled.

"No; my dragon" she replied.

"Ah... so that's the way it is hmm?"

"You got it" Astrid grinned.

**I've locked Moon in his bedroom after his last rant – I love lol cats they are so cool. My favourite is 'Hover cat is coming for your soul' and for the record I do funny things all the time but it's not my fault that cats don't have a very good sense of humour. Another thing is that I do **_**NOT**_** steal stuff from Terry Pratchett (much), but he does inspire me, as does Ogden Nash.**

**I emulate:**

**Look at the dragon; it has no hair.  
It flies through the air, but where?  
Should you seek to see more,  
Beware of the claw.  
If you find yourself under its foot,  
It's no goot.**


	34. Chapter 34

34 The Chapter With The Comical Title

Hiccup looked very peaceful as he lay on Stormfly's back, so Astrid decided not to wake him. It was quite surprising that he didn't awaken when the dragons came into land near Godfreds house, but fortunately for him a Deadly Nadder has long and very powerful legs, more than capable of cushioning the hardest of landings. Today though the weather was fine, the breeze was light and Stormfly could sense her rider was asleep so she had done her best to land gently.

"You two stay here" Astrid informed the dragons and she approached the house.

A quick knock on the door brought no reply so a short wait later, Astrid decided to take a walk back into Vesterham to see if she could find Godfred there. As she strolled along the road, Astrid could not help but think of Hiccups earlier observation about the beauty of the country side. Far to the east she could see a range of tall, snow capped mountains but where she was, only a mile or so from the coast, the hills rose and fell far more gently. Although the air was sharp, the sun felt warm on her back as she drew nearer to Vesterham and although Astrid wished that she and Hiccup could enjoy it all together, she was very pleased to know he was catching up with some much needed sleep.

'Maybe he won't be as stressed and short tempered when he wakes up' she thought with hope.

Hiccup was beginning to remind Astrid of the way she had been herself a year or two ago, before peace came to Berk and before she grew so close to him.

"HOLD ON THERE" a gruff looking and sounding man called as he approached from the edge of the village.

"It's not often that I see such a pretty lady walking into town all alone; especially one with such impressive, well made shoulder plates; aren't you a little young to be a warrior?"

"Yes" she replied proudly "yes I am."

"Perhaps you wouldn't mind tellin' me then; _Whatcha doin'?_"

"I'm looking for Godfred Thorn."

"Ah; you mean Prince Godfred" the man said smugly.

"Of course" Astrid realised "he's King Jorics brother; I'd never even thought about that."

"That's right and I am one of his official bodyguards, so I can't just let you saunter off into town by yourself and expect to get an instant audience with His Royal Highness."

"Oh I think you'll find he'll want to see me; I was sent by the King after all."

"Which one?" the man asked suspiciously.

"THE REAL ONE; Joric the Fifth" she was starting to feel as frustrated as Hiccup would have been.

"I'm sorry sweetie..."

"Sweetie?" her facial dinner plates made their Vesterham debut.

"But I can't just let you walk in to see Prince Godfred without an appointment."

"Couldn't you at least send someone to tell him that Astrid is here and wants to see him?"

"Astrid; that's a funny name" the man giggled.

"You should meet my boyfriend."

The man turned back and called out to some other men talking inside the village.

"HEY ARNIS, CAN YOU GO TELL GODFRED THERE'S A GIRL HERE TO SEE HIM?"

"What girl?" Arnis replied as he approached.

"What do you mean 'what girl'? This gir…" but when the man turned back, Astrid was gone.

"Lay off the bottle Eric; it's too early in the day."

"So with Artsbourgh on board that means the entire district is behind Joric now" Godfred noted to those around him as he drew a red circle around the last town on his map.

"Word just came through that one of the ships of the Elydonian navy was seen sailing north of here and may put in to Artsbourgh. We should try to get word to the King about that as soon as we can" one of Godfreds advisors advised.

"Oh I can do that for you" a sweet lyrical voice revealed "I'll probably see him again in a few hours."

"Astrid! Where did you spring from?" Godfred asked, delighted to see her.

"Horston Beach via Staggshund; it looks like you've been a very busy little Prince" she commented as she looked over the map "most of these towns aren't circled on your brothers map.

"SIR" Eric shouted as he ran up to the new Prince "a stranger has gotten past the perimeter and her location is currently unknown."

"Err... that would be me" Astrid put up her hand and admitted to them all.

"YOU!" Eric shouted again.

"Hello again" she curtsied.

Godfred spent the next minute trying to explain who Astrid was and why she should not be put under arrest before being thrown into the prison; formerly the storage shed out the back of the tavern.

"We didn't think that we'd ever need a prison in a little place like this" Eric explained to Astrid "I mean... everybody knows everybody else so..."

"I wouldn't be concerned about it" Astrid patted him on the shoulder "once people find out that the King grew up here, I'm sure you'll get lots of strangers visiting and some of them are bound to be up to no good, so then you can build a real prison."

"Do you really think so miss?" Eric brightened up a little "That would be very nice indeed."

"Here you go Astrid; this is the gear Joric wanted" Godfred gave her a large bundle wrapped in a tan brown cloth.

"Look Godfred; I certainly don't mind dropping this young man off at Artsbourgh for you, but are you sure he'll be okay with the transport arrangements?"

"Yeah; I chose him because he's done some exploring in the mountains, so the height won't be a problem."

"It's more than just the height" Astrid pointed out.

"He's good on a horse too... oh come on Astrid don't look at me like that. He'll be fine; trust me."

"Just like Gil was?"

"He stopped screaming... eventually."

"I'm beginning to wonder if I can ever trust any Elydonian Prince" Astrid huffed.

"Hey; I will not be compared to that turkey Nainn" Godfred declared firmly.

"Alright, alright I take it back; so where is this guy then?"

"That's him; I just sent him to get his satchel" Godfred pointed to a young man who looked about twenty years old (give or take a few years) with a very thin face, dimpled chin and high forehead. He reminded Astrid of Tuffnut, if you could take off Tuff's nose and stick it on this guys chin.

"Here you go Deric" Godfred gave the man a smaller bundle "here's two for you and I've given the rest to Astrid; she and Hiccup will drop you off near Artsbourgh. So hoist one on the town dock and give the other to the captain of the ship if it makes port.

"Will do Uncle Godfred, but wouldn't it be better if I took my horse? I could be there before sunset."

"Trust me Deric, you'll get there plenty quick enough. And stop calling me Uncle Godfred; we're not related you know" he explained to Astrid.

"You don't talk much" Astrid noted as she and Deric walked back out of town.

"Well I have to be very careful about what I say around you; I'm not sure if you can be trusted."

"Me? Have you ever met Prince Nainn? Now there's a man who can't be trusted."

"Why are we going the wrong way then? Artsbourgh's the other way and these parcels are important."

"Don't worry Deric we won't be walking all the way; our rides are waiting at Godfreds..."

"Prince Godfred" he corrected.

"PRINCE Godfred" Astrid repeated sarcastically "anyway they're at his place."

"I still don't know why I wasn't permitted to take my horse; it's the swiftest one for miles around."

"Godfre...I mean PRINCE Godfred didn't tell you did he?"

"Tell me what exactly?" Deric asked.

"We're not going on horses; we'll be riding... dragons."

It was Derics turn to go wide eyed.  
"Dragons; how gullible do you think I am?"

"Oh this is gonna be fun" Astrid gave an evil grin.

"You know what? You are actually a very pretty young girl."

"Thanks but I'm kinda in a serious relationship right now, hopefully forever."

"But I seriously question your sanity."

"Oh now there's a great line for sweeping a girl off her feet. So you're saying I'd be mad not to fall for you? Your last name isn't Jorgensen is it?"

"I'm almost surprised you didn't say we would fly to Artsbourgh on magic Unicorns" Deric remarked.

"Well Unicorns can't fly for a start, and secondly I seriously doubt that they even exist; and you question my sanity?" Astrid rolled her eyes.

Much to Astrid's surprise, Deric suddenly stopped in the middle of the road and began to turn quite white. She soon realised why for where the road dipped and rose in the distance, the large blue head of a Deadly Nadder was beginning to appear over the rise with the horn and crown already clearly visible.

"Good day Milady" Hiccup waved as he led the dragons down the road "who's your friend?"

"This pale man is Deric" she replied "Godfred ask me if we could drop him off near a town called Artsbourgh just north of here."

"Hi there Deric" Hiccup offered his hand as he drew nearer.

Now faced with both a Nadder and a Night Fury, Deric replied to Hiccups greeting with a soft squeak.

"You really should have told him about the dragons Astrid" Hiccup shook his head.

"I did I swear, but he didn't believe me?"

"Here we go again; sit Stormfly, come here Toothless."

Both dragons followed Hiccups command as Astrid went over to greet Stormfly with a rub on the chin before mounting the saddle, while Hiccup tried his best to get Deric's attention.

"It's okay Deric they're quite safe and Astrid will now show you what we're going to do; Milady."

"Up Stormfly" Astrid commanded and the dragon quickly rose to her feet.

She turned away from the village at her rider's guidance and spread her wings wide, lifting off the ground effortlessly as Deric inhaled deeply.

"As you see here, we can control the dragon's flight in a very similar style to the way you would ride one of your horses, so whata you say; do you think you could ride on this cute little smiling dragon to Artsbourgh with me?"

The port village of Artsbourgh looked very inviting from the air, but Hiccup knew King Joric was waiting for him. So they dropped Deric behind a small hill about half a mile from the coast and lifted off again straight away.

"I bet it feels good to have Toothless all to yourself again" Astrid called out.

"WHAT?"

"Yeah... Deric was a bit of a screamer wasn't he?"

"I CAN'T HEAR YOU; MY EARS ARE STILL RINGING."

"I'm sure your hearing will come back soon."

"Is that blood? ASTRID; MY RIGHT EAR IS BLEEDING."

"Oh don't be such a baby; it'll stop... eventually."

"WHAT?"

**Hello... hello... is there anybody there?**

**Please don't listen to my cat... I'm not a bad person and it's very lonely here without your reviews and messages to read.**

**I got him some different flavours of cat food and every time I open a pack of the salmon flavour, I show it to him and say (in my best Arnold Schwarzenegger voice) "It's not a Tuna" – he never laughs.**

**Please come back... I'll be good.**


	35. Chapter 35

35 Doing the Berkian Hula (Naval Manoeuvres)

Toothless and Stormfly set down back on Horston Beach and refused to be left with a pair of Olaf's Gronckles resting on a nearby grassy rise on the edge of a meadow.

"I think they're tired of always being left behind whenever we go into a village" Astrid noted as Stormflys head bobbed along over her shoulder.

"WHAT?" Hiccup replied as he tapped his wrist on the side of his head and wiggled his little finger in his right ear.

"Oh let me have a look at that" Astrid sighed as she grabbed Hiccups head and turned it toward the light.

Being both a Viking warrior as well as one of the people who had assisted Olvor the surgeon with Hiccups leg back on Dragon Island, Astrid was by no means squeamish, but "Eeyew" was all she could say as she looked into Hiccups right ear and saw the half dried blood.

"Close your eyes babe."

"WHAT?"

"I SAID CLOSE YOUR EYES" Astrid repeated.

"Oh... okay but... why? It's my ear that's the problem; HEY!"

Before Hiccup knew what was going on, Astrid had pulled his left sleeve over his hand and sliced off the end with her knife. Hiccup opened his eyes and gave a little whimper as he saw the sleeve that now only reached halfway from his elbow to his wrist.

"If you didn't like that, then you're gonna hate this" Astrid grinned as she grabbed his head and spat into his right ear and followed it up by wiping it vigorously with the torn sleeve.

"oww – Oww – OWW" he complained loudly.

"There you go" Astrid smiled with satisfaction and kissed Hiccups forehead "what would you do without me?"

"WHAT?"

"Oh forget it."

"Here you go Your Kingness" Astrid smiled as she handed over Godfreds package.

"Ah... marvellous; just what we need" King Joric smiled as he took the parcel over to the table on the beach. He cut the twine that bound the whole thing together and unwrapped it to reveal about twenty blue flags and a few articles of clothing that were also blue. Both clothes and flags bore the image of an ornate shield with a rampant horse on each side.

"What are these?" Odd asked as he pondered one of the flags.

"This bundle represents the last remnants of my grandfather's rule. Father kept some and collected others as we fled north from the castle back when I was only four years old."

King Joric went through the bundle until he found a couple of small vests that he gave to Hiccup and Astrid.

"There you go" he said "when you wear these, it means that you act in an official capacity on the behalf of the King."

"Nice" Astrid grinned "hopefully I won't have any trouble getting into Vesterham to see your brother ever again."

"Did you have a problem or two?" Joric asked.

"Oh yes; I can walk up to the King any time I want to, but one villager wouldn't let me get anywhere close to the Prince."

"HA! Life can be strange sometimes" King Joric shook his head with a smile.

"Have you got anything with longer sleeves?" Hiccup held up his left arm.

"Ah... sorry but no."

"This is quite amazing when you get used to it" the young sailor remarked "and this... what did you call it?"

"A Gronkle; her name is Meatlug" Fishlegs relished the chance to chat with someone with the good sense to recognise a high quality dragon when he saw one.

A Gronkle; amazing" the man repeated "I was terrified the first time I saw the big red dragon, but this one is so cute and the ride is so smooth."

"And we'll be able to get all these flags out to our assigned villages before nightfall as well, thanks to my little Luggie Wuggie" Fishlegs scratched the panting Gronckles neck.

As Meatlug neared another small town southeast of Bolthorn the sailor prepared to jump off as soon as the dragon touched down.

"I hope I get to ride on one of those big blue ones like Odd's or Astrid's because they're the best looking dragons of them all."

Fishlegs felt like a dagger had been plunged straight into his heart. How could this fool think that a Nadder was more attractive than a Gronckle and not just any old Gronckle, but the best and cutest one by far?

"Right then Fishlegs" the sailor dropped down and waved the blue flag in his hand "I'll run this into town and be back as soon as I can."

"YEAH OKAY" Fishlegs called as the man ran off "maybe I'll be here when you get back but then again... maybe I won't."

"I DEMAND YOU RETURN ME TO MY CASTLE! YOU HAD NO RIGHT TO TAKE ME AND YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO KEEP ME HERE; I AM A KING."

"I don't think you should sing him any more songs Gobber; it's not calming him down at all."

"I could use a little bit of percussive therapy on him Chief; that might work."

"No... I want him in good condition when Nainn gets here."

"I could threaten him though."

"Yes... you could do that" Stoick nodded.

"Good! SHUT YA CAKE HOLE YA UGLY GIT, BEFORE I DROP A GRONCKLE ON TOP OF YA! Do you think that will do the trick then?"

"Only time will tell Gobber; only time will tell."

Stoick wandered off to look out from Lookout Island to the southeast horizon. It was still way too soon for him to see Nainn's fleet and he knew it too, but as usual Stoick hated waiting. He just wanted everything to get back to normal again so he and his people could all go home. Everyone from Berk who had answered the call to re-enforce Lookout Island had done very well and made the best of a difficult situation. All things considered they were in much better shape now than they were a year ago on Dragon Island thanks largely to the dragons themselves. Those who had flown out from Berk had not only brought their own dragons but they also had with them several that worked as pack animals, bringing more than enough supplies for the short time that they intended to be there. A small village had sprung up on the southeast side of the island from where any ship sailing up from Elydonia, or any other country could be observed, followed or driven off days before it managed to get anywhere close to Berk.

Stoick smiled broadly as two dragons approached from the east. He had been hoping Freya and the twins would return soon with word on how far off the invasion fleet currently stood, but as they drew nearer the Chief could plainly see that four dragons were returning to the island and his eyes strained to see which dragons were flying alongside Cuddles, Barf and Belch. The first was a Night Fury so it was obviously Toothless but the second was a Nadder so he was unsure if it was Windrunner or Stormfly. As it drew nearer he could make out the unmistakable colour and markings of Stormfly and his heart warmed.

Stoick always had a strong feeling of satisfaction whenever he saw his son and Astrid working together and for many reasons. More than anything in his life, Stoick still felt very guilty for the way he had treated Hiccup in the past. Ever since the day he had first become Gobbers apprentice, Hiccup had started to invent things. They didn't always work very well and Stoick had not been encouraging as a father should. And when he had first found out about Toothless, Stoick had disowned his own son; sometimes his guilt rose to unbearable levels.

Hiccup had known far too much misery during the first part of his life, so whenever Stoick saw the love his son felt for Astrid, it made him glad to know of the joy she was bringing to Hiccup when she was near.

On a more selfish level Stoick was relieved Hiccup had fallen for someone with such wisdom and strength, both of muscle and character. If all went well with their relationship, then Berk could look forward to a long and bright future with leaders such as these, and the village would be well served for many years to come. He also had high hopes for some wonderful grandchildren with their mother's skill, wisdom and beauty and their father's passion, judgement and ingenuity. A small tear of joy came to his eye.

The dragons were drawing much closer now and something was bothering Stoick; why was Astrid so tall and when did she grow a beard?

"Hey Chief" Tuffnut greeted upon landing "Look who we found out over the ocean."

"It's good to see ya son; nice vest, but you need a new shirt. Who's your friend here; wasn't he the one who wanted me to hang on to the King for as long as possible?"

"That's right Dad its Sigfus Jolfson; one of the guys who helped set up the escape for Astrid and Sigrid."

"Ah that sounds right; sorry Mr. Sigfus I've had a lot on my mind lately. So then son; where is Astrid?"

"OH that reminds me" Hiccup turned back to the blue dragon "Stormfly; go find Astrid."

With a loud 'Rhaahk' Stormfly took to the sky and flew off to the southeast back toward the beach where she had left her pet girl.

"Astrid kindly allowed us to borrow 'Her' dragon Dad because our intentions back at Bolthorn didn't go down to well with the men and women of Rekkurs court" Hiccup explained "but we've had much more success in winning over the rest of the country. We've even had success with some of the Elydonian Navy as well, so King Joric decided to try and take over the ships that Nainn is bringing here before we turn them back; before they even get to Lookout Island."

"So you'll need some aerial help to do this I assume" the Chief grinned

**Obvious lines from one of my favourite TV shows featured in the last chapter. I do this a lot with movies, songs, etc. but so far no one seems to have noticed. That's why I am mentioning it to see if anyone noticed it this time.**

**Do you remember the** **porcelain faced woman from Rekkur's court back in chapter 29? I was just thinking about 'Life of Brian' so I have decided that she should be named Dame Incontinentia even though she may not appear in the story again.**

_**I have escaped from the bedroom and will now wreak my revenge and havoc on Marty the Spud (He isn't really from Mars; he was born over 200 billion miles from there). While he writes, he eagerly checks his e-mail inbox every ten minutes to see if there is any sign of another review or message from a reader or fellow writer, so I want to thank you all for not feeding his massive ego until he starts to give me the respect that I (and all cats) deserve.**_

_**I must go now and poop in his dress shoes. Luv to all, Moon.**_


	36. Chapter 36

36 The Chapter With The Boring and Repetitive Title

The sun was moving very slowly towards the horizon, but everything seemed to be happening all at once on Horston Beach. Sailors and Vikings did their very best to get the most tasks complete before sunset. Ack, Agnar and Helga all arrived back within fifteen minutes of each other riding on the Sharktooth's Tug Gronckles with Fishlegs and Snotlout not too far behind.

"Fishlegs" Astrid called to him as Meatlug settled into the sand "can you give me a lift? I need to go and check out a ship that's just appeared on the horizon."

"Sure thing Astrid" Fishlegs replied as he happily pushed off the sailor who had so offended his precious Meatlug earlier in the day "anything for a beautiful lady such as yourself."

If those words had been spoken to her by Hiccup, Astrid's heart would have melted. If they had been spoken by Snotlout, she would have not been able to keep down her lunch. Tuffnut would have just confused her but from Fishlegs, it was well and truly just a pleasant compliment from a good friend.

"Have you got one of Hiccup's spyglasses?" she asked as they flew out over the coast.

"Always" Fishlegs replied as he pulled it out of his saddlebag and handed it back to her "What are we looking for anyway?"

"A blue flag" Astrid replied as she did her best to steady her arm; a simple task on a rock steady Gronckle which was one of the reasons why she hadn't asked Snotlout for a lift. The other reason being Snotlout.

As they gained height and neared the ship, Astrid could see a second vessel about a quarter of a mile diagonally behind the first. This second ship flew no flag at all but the first one clearly showed its colour and it was blue.

"Deric has done it!" Astrid cried "that poncy, patronising little screamer has done it."

"Done what?" Fishlegs asked confused.

"Convinced the captains of the first two warships to support King Joric" she replied "let's go tell him the good news."

Twenty seven Vikings stood by their dragons as Stoick, Hiccup and Sigfus prepared to depart.

"Are you ready to put on a good show for us Toothless?" Stoick rubbed the top of the purring Night Furies head.

"Right then" he continued "everybody mount up and let's be off."

Bloodstorm was a very different dragon to Stormfly and as they all lifted off from Lookout Island and headed off into the growing darkness, Sigfus was quite glad that he was able to leave the piloting to Stoick; even though all he had done on Stormfly was to sit still and let her do her own thing (ie: follow Hiccup). None of them knew exactly how long their task would take so it was decided to begin just before twilight but several hours later, when the first lantern was spotted on the ships of Nainn's fleet, night had fully fallen so the plan could begin.

"Are you ready Sigfus?" Stoick checked.

"All set" he replied and so the Chief gave his son the signal.

"Let's go Bud" Hiccup whispered to the dragon and they soon left all the others circling slowly behind the fleet.

Toothless gained height until he was several hundred yards ahead of the lead vessel but then he pulled in his wings and dove rapidly towards the surface of the water. As the sound of the high speed Night Fury grew, every eye of every watchman was drawn off the bow of each and every ship until Toothless pulled out of the dive and rose up to the clouds once more.

"Here we go" Stoick remarked as he guided Bloodstorm in a slow glide in towards the stern of the trailing ship.

As they neared their destination, Sigfus slid his body half off the saddle and half hung from the left side till he was just over the stern. When the time was right, he let go and dropped lightly onto the rear deck. Stoick and Bloodstorm peeled off and began to circle above the ship as Sigfus marched off past the sailor who manned the ships wheel.

"As you were" he saluted as he made his way down to the main deck and to the door of the Captain's cabin and gave three slow knocks.

"What the... it can't be" Captain Ferric looked up from his navigational chart as soon as he heard the very old signal and hurried to the door.  
"Jolfson! What the hell are you doing stowed away on my ship?"

"Don't panic" Sigfus grinned "I haven't got time to go into any detail but I'm not a stowaway; I've only just arrived here."

"But how..?"

"I just said that I don't have much time, so listen up. Big news; Rekkur is no longer on the throne in Bolthorn..."

"WHAT?"

"Just listen will you! Nainn doesn't know yet but his father is a prisoner on the island you will arrive on tomorrow."

"Have you got any proof of this?" Captain Ferric asked suspiciously.

"Have I got proof? How's this for proof?"

Sigfus opened the bag he had slung over his shoulder and produced three items that he had procured from the captive former king, one at a time.

"Firstly; Rekkurs gold headband with the emerald centre stone."

"How on earth did you..."

"Like I said – prisoner. Secondly I have the Royal Crest that I have cut from the breast of his tunic and finally this" and he placed in Ferric hand one of the most important items of all for his inspection; the Elydonian Royal Seal.

"Oh come on now... where did you get this?"

"I took it from the chain that hung around Rekkurs neck less than an hour ago" Sigfus grinned.

"Do you know what you could do with all these things?"

"I know what I'm going to do with these things if you will allow me to use your sealing wax."

With a distinct thud, a crossbow bolt struck the main mast of Elydonian warship Victorious and redirected the attention of the watchmen on the bow, who had been discussing the strange noises they had been hearing for the last few hours. The Officer of the Watch had told them to be vigilant when they had reported these noises and to advise him of any other odd occurrences. But the fact that they were currently sailing west into the unknown, was making the entire ships company very nervous and tonight's strange sounds were not helping.

Maybe if they could have known that the whistling whines that came and went every fifteen to twenty minutes were nothing more than a young man on a Night Fury trying to divert their attention away from what was going on around them, they may have felt a little calmer, but probably not. And if they had been made aware that the strange buzzing that they had heard up in the rigging was only a Viking on a Gronckle stealing and changing their flag, they may have just laughed it off, but they didn't. So now the two watchmen were left with this: a letter addressed to the Captain that bore the Royal Seal of Elydonia pinned to the mast by a bolt that had come from who knows where.

Sleep was rapidly overtaking Captain Pratt when a junior officer knocked on his cabin door and opened it a crack.

"Sir; a message has just been... well... delivered and it has the Royal Seal on it."

Fine fine fine; put it on my desk and get out" he mumbled as he nodded off.

Pratt despised the other Officers even the junior ones, because of the way they all looked down at him. 'They're all jealous of my success' he always told himself. It had only been a few short years ago he too was no more than a junior officer, but thanks to his discovery of a conspiracy plot to return the old Kings bloodline to the throne, King Rekkur had rewarded him. The information Pratt had brought about the traitor Sigfus Jolfson, had put him on the fast track to the Captain's cabin and now he was leading the invasion fleet to the Northwest Archipelago; life was good.

The dawn of the new morning brought a few surprises for a former Elydonian prince.

"WHERE THE HELL ARE ALL MY SHIPS?" Nainn screamed as he emerged from his cabin and rushed to the railing.

Prince Nainn had not even been able to have one good night's sleep back at the castle, before his father had sent him out on another mission. Although this warship was much larger and more stable than the last ship he was on, he still was finding it hard to sleep. So when the first signs of light had peeked around the door, Nainn had arisen and dressed only to find that his vessel was completely alone on the ocean. After rushing around the main deck in an extreme panic for half a minute, he ran up the steps to the ships wheel.

"WHERE DID THEY GO?" he shouted at the helmsman.

"Well... they were there last night sir" was all he could offer.

"DIDN'T YOU NOTICE THAT THEY WERE GONE YOU IDIOT?"

"Err... sorry sir but ever since first light, I've been keeping a close eye on that island ahead and making sure that I keep a straight course around the northern side to the inlet that you told us about."

Nainn looked out over the bow and sure enough, there was Lookout Island looming up only a few miles away. This trip was rapidly turning into a royal disaster.

"GET THE CAPTAIN UP HERE; NOW!"

"Captain Julius Pratt had already been awoken by all the yelling and screaming that was emitting from his leader and was trying to dress himself as quickly as he could manage. Eventually he decided it would be better get his Senior Officers butt up on deck as soon, as he heard the Prince demand his attendance. And so with mismatched buttons and one boot still only half on, he rushed out of his door and went sprawling onto the main deck. After pulling the second boot on the rest of the way, Pratt quickly climbed the steps to the aft deck and reported to the bright pink Prince.

"You called Your Majesty?"

"My fleet Captain; where... Is... MY... FLEET!?"

"I... I... don't know sir; I can't think of any reason why they shouldn't be there. Maybe they turned back in the night."

"Maybe one of the sea monsters got them" the helmsman offered and got a kick in the seat from Nainn for his trouble.

"There are no sea monsters out here you superstitious fool" Nainn commented "I've been out here before and the only thing we have to concern ourselves with is a small group of belligerent barbarians and they weren't even on this island when I was here several days ago."

"Maybe they received fresh orders in their letters from King Rekkur last night" one of the junior officers suggested.

"What letters?" Prince Nainn asked slightly confused.

"Well we received one last night so... maybe they did too."

"WHY DIDN'T YOU BRING ME THIS LETTER FROM THE KING YOU FOOL?"

"It was addressed to Captain Pratt so I took it to him."

Prince Nainn looked at the Captain with intense anger in his eyes.

"I... I didn't receive any letter" Pratt was adamant.

"Yes sir; I brought it to you as soon as it arrived and you told me to put it on your desk" it all started to come back to the Captain very slowly.

"How did it arrive?" Pratt asked "Who delivered it?"

"I... err... don't know who delivered it sir; it came by bolt."

"Bolt?"

"Crossbow bolt sir"

The frustration grew in the Prince's face.

"WELL GO AND GET IT YOU IDIOT."

**(Theremin music plays eerily) There is a large patch of ocean that forms a triangle between Berk, Lookout Island and the Elydonian coast where seven vessels of the Elydonian Navy were reported to have gone missing; disappeared... without a trace.**

**Was it a sudden storm or some other force of nature or maybe it was... aliens? Some have reported other strange occurrences such as crossbow bolts coming from out of nowhere – another dimension perhaps or a tear in the time/space continuum? And what of the reports of witnesses seeing a white cat with grey markings on its head that made it look like it was wearing a bad toupee?**

**This is just one of the many... Mysteries of the Unexplained: presented and narrated by Leonard Nimoys second cousin twice removed (but never quite far enough).**


	37. Chapter 37

37 A Woman's Heart

Hiccup sat still and quiet on the cliff top while staring off into the morning light with his father by his side.

"Can you see much son?" the young man grunted and handed over the telescope.

"You'll see someone has started running around the deck waving their arms about; I think that's Nainn."

"He doesn't look happy does he?"

"Does he ever?"

"HA... no son I don't think he does."

"Except maybe when he has an unarmed someone at his mercy lying on the ground with a sword at her chest."

"Let it go son; you got her out of there before there was any harm done" but Hiccup just drew his knees up under his chin and sighed "what is it Hiccup? Come on; spit it out."

"It's Astrid Dad... she's... well... been acting weird ever since her sea voyage to Bolthorn castle with Nainn."

"Weird?"

"Well different... no... weird; there's no other word for it."

"In what way son?"

"Well... most of the time she's very helpful..."

"Yes I can see how that must be very upsetting" Stoick rolled his eyes.

"But even more helpful than usual; she constantly offers excellent advice on any situation and then she does whatever I ask of her quickly and efficiently."

"You're starting to lose me son" the Chief shook his head.

"And then there's the thing with the dragons."

"What thing with the dragons?"

"She said that Toothless is not my dragon anymore; he is now 'Our Dragon' according to Astrid."

"Oh... I see" Stoick slowly nodded.

"I thought that this was some kind of new thing about us as a couple but later on when I referred to Stormfly the same way, she got all huffy and said that Toothless was our dragon but Stormfly was hers. Dad; I think a bit of Nainns attitude has rubbed off onto her."

Hiccup was not pleased at all when his father started to laugh almost uncontrollably.

"Thank you... father... thank you so much for taking my worries and concerns so seriously."

"Oh son" Stoick tried desperately to bring himself under control again "I'm sorry... I'm so sorry... I didn't mean to upset you it's just..."

Hiccup waited impatiently for his father to continue "WHAT?" he could wait no longer.

"She's just like your mother Hiccup."

"Really? In a good way I assume from your inconceivable mirth."

"Well... not exactly like her... in most ways they are very different people, but the way you say she's acting now, your mother did the same thing to me when we were... young... ger; it must be something about the women of Berk" Stoick pondered "I wonder if they all talk about it together? Maybe it's their grand plan."

"Alright Dad, now you've lost me; WHAT ON EARTH ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?"

"When I had been courting your mother for a while, she one day started telling me things that she'd never talked about before."

"What kind of things Dad?"

"Oh all sorts of things, but I suppose the prime example of what I'm talkin' about was where she wanted to live. You see son, before we were married or even engaged, I'd only been Chief for a short time and of course I was livin' in the Chiefs house just like my father had. By the way son; you can take over that house one day when you're Chief or you can live wherever you want. I decided that after I lost your mother; life's too short to worry about the meaningless traditions – only worry about the important ones."

"Dad; focus."

"Oh... right... sorry. Anyway Valka tells me one day, quite out of the blue, that she did not want to live so high up and she said that what she really wanted was to live down by the sea. She said it was so she could wander on the beach in the morning or under a hunter's moon. Now this really worried me as I thought that she was saying that she did not want to be my wife because it meant that she would have to live up at the Chiefs house instead of where she wanted."

"But she did marry you... and she did live in your house... didn't she?"

"Oh yes indeed son; Ya see, one day I got really angry with her..."

"YOU? Never" Hiccup said sarcastically.

"Shut up and listen or you're on your own."

"Sorry Dad" Hiccup chuckled "go on."

"As I was saying... I shouted at her 'What about me; doesn't it matter what I want?' and as calm and as steady as you like... she just looks at me, smiles and says 'Of course it matters' I remember that she reached up and put her hand on my chin."

Hiccup could hear his father's voice falter and see a glisten in his eye.

"Dad, are you okay?"

"I will be son; anyway... she said 'Of course it matters what you want my dear, but you have never told me what it is you want'. Do you see where I'm goin' with this Hiccup?"

"I think so Dad; so what did you do then?"

"I think I went a little nuts AND NO SMART COMMENTS FROM YOU, thank you very much."

"I wouldn't dream..."

"I told her exactly what I wanted. I wanted her to marry me, to live in the Chief's house, to raise a family... and she said she was glad to finally know what my feelings were and then she said 'I think we can make all these things happen for you' with the most beautiful smile on her face. Well as you can guess... I felt like a fool... SHUT UP."

"I wasn't going to say anything" Hiccup protested "but... thanks Dad."

"Your very welcome; it's probably about time that I tried to make myself useful to you."

"Mission accomplished" Hiccup smiled.

"The ship's getting closer" Stoick put the telescope back up to his eye again "Oh my; have a look at this."

"Wow; it looks like they've only just found the letters" Hiccup noted as he looked for himself.

Down on the Victorious, Captain Pratt had gone back down to his cabin and torn open the envelope as soon as he spotted it on his desk; inside he found three short letters that he quickly read. The first made him turn pale and the second was a complete surprise, but the third almost caused him to faint; not from its contents but because of its author. His mind raced as he considered his options until he heard a familiar voice scream once more for him to hurry up. Pratt walked out of his cabin slowly and with purpose as he came to the decision to put all his eggs in the one basket. His career was over, he knew that was true, but if he did the right thing now, he may still have a life to live.

"Commander Fitch" he called out and his first officer approached and saluted.

"WELL HURRY UP" Nainn shouted but the Captain ignored him.

"I place the ship under your leadership Commander" he handed the letters to the first officer "and I place myself and Prin... I mean Mr. Nainn into your custody until you return us to Elydonia."

The Officer read the first letter while he ignored the screaming former Prince.

_To the Officers of the Royal Elydonian Navy, from the Secretary to His Royal Majesty King Joric V of Bolthorn._

_After his invasion of the Northwest Archipelago, King Rekkur has been removed from the throne and is currently a prisoner of the people he sought to enslave._

_His Majesty King Joric V has declared a truce with High Chief Stoick the Vast of Berk and commands all vessels of the Royal Elydonian Navy to gather at the point eleven miles north of Bolthorn Castle._

"Joric Thorn is now King of Elydonia? This must be a trick sir."

"I know the Royal Seal when I see it Commander and it is on both that letter and the envelope that bore it."

"But sir, why are you giving the ship over to me sir?"

"Read the third letter Commander; I mean Captain."

The Officer flicked over to the third page as Nainn began to storm down the steps.

_Arrest Warrant:_

_1 Nainn - Former Prince of Elydonia._

_Charge: Making war against the allies of His Royal Majesty King Joric V of Bolthorn._

_2 Any and all supporters or allies of Rekkur – Former King of Elydonia. _

_Charge: The overthrow and murder of His Royal Majesty King Joric IV of Bolthorn._

_So ordered by Sigfus Jolfson - Secretary to His Royal Majesty King Joric V of Bolthorn._

"You were involved in the murder of King Joric the Fourth?"

"Of course not; I wasn't even born at the time of the old Kings death, but I was involved with keeping Rekkur in power, so your duty is clear Captain."

"WHEN YOU TWO HAVE QUITE FINISHED..." Nainn began but was not permitted to finish as acting Captain Fitch drew his sword and beaconed to the crew.

"Sir; by order of the King I am placing you both under arrest. You will please make your way to the brig."

"NO... YOU CAN'T DO THIS." Nainn backed up.

In wide eyed panic, the former prince tried to run from the ship's crew with very little success due to his unwillingness to leave the ship. For the next few minutes Nainn ran, dodged and threw anything he could pick up, as well as pushing over and rolling several barrels at his pursuers before his eventual capture; after which he was escorted below decks while constantly yelling and struggling, as well as threatening everyone with a slow and painful death.

Acting Captain Fitch sent Julius Pratt to his cabin under guard in deference to his willingness to surrender and cause no trouble. The former Captain gave a self satisfied grin as his plan to save his own neck ended its first phase.

"Well... they've taken Nainn below" Hiccup informed his father "so I guess we won't have to worry about any invasion from Elydonia today."

"Righty oh then son" Stoick turned to leave "let me know when the ship turns back."

"RAAHK" Stoick and Hiccup both jumped in surprise at the cry of the Deadly Nadder that dropped down from above.

"HICCUP WE'VE GOT TROUBLE BACK AT BOLTHORN" Astrid cried out "YOU HAVE TO COME BACK AND WE NEED RE-ENFORCEMENTS."

Without stopping to reply, the two men ran back to the Lookout Island tent village.

"TOOTHLESS" Hiccup called as the big black dragon leapt to attention "we gotta go bud."

"Gobber; take Ivar, Sigrid and Olvor and go with Hiccup" the Chief ordered "I'll follow with the others as soon as that last ship turns back."

"Right ho Chief" Gobber replied as he hobbled off.

A short time later Hiccup could see Pigg, Boomer, Skywolf and Viper rising up from the island with their riders so he turned to catch up with Astrid.

"One day it may be nice to fly to Elydonia without the word 'Trouble' being the main reason for the journey" he noted.

**Maybe I am only being paranoid, but in the past several months I have had the seat split in two pairs of pants and had three waist band buttons fly off. Now any of you reading this may think 'Marty needs to do some exercise' but I always buy loose fitting pants for comfort and if I don't wear a belt they fall down anyway, so they are not too tight (I do need to exercise more but that's just not the reason for my wardrobe problems). Many times though, I have come home to find Moon sleeping in the washing basket and he does have very sharp claws (not to mention access to a particle degenerator) so I am wondering if it is possible, that causing me embarrassment is some part of his long term plan? Maybe... but he looks so cute when he's sleeping.**


	38. Chapter 38

38 One Is One Too Many

"So tell us about this trouble" Hiccup asked of Astrid, as Gobber and the others flew up alongside.

"King Joric expected the Bolthorn Court to make a move against him at Horston Beach, but we've received word through Gil's friends inside the castle town, they are sending half of the castle forces, or four whole battalions of soldiers, from Bolthorn Castle straight out to Staggshund."

"Do he know why?" Hiccup asked.

"He said it was because the messengers who returned from Staggshund were the ones who began to spread the word about King Joric; and those messengers... were..."

"Astrid... what wrong?"

"They killed them Hiccup... the leaders in Bolthorn castle executed the messengers we let go; they're both dead now."

"Astrid, stay calm" Hiccup could hear her voice starting to shake.

"But you remember them don't you? They were not much older than us and we let them go back; why did we do that? Because it suited us and our plans? We didn't even know their names."

"Astrid we've all been in danger at Bolthorn..."

"BUT WE'VE GOT DRAGONS."

"If Kylan had know they would be caught and killed, he never would had let them leave but they wanted to go back; they wanted to tell the people about King Joric and you can't take responsibility for all the evil things other people do, but don't worry; we'll stop them Astrid... I promise."

Astrid breathed deeply as she considered his words.

"Remember this" he told her "we've made a lot of friends in Elydonia and we're not going to abandon them to these power hungry fools. We'll do our very best but we can't be everywhere at once and things are happening everywhere."

"I want it to happen today Hiccup; I want to bring those murderers down today."

"I agree wholeheartedly but remember, this is Joric's country so we have to work with him."

Astrid spun around and stared at Hiccup. In her frustration she had thought he was not willing to take charge. But when she saw the determination on his face and the look in his eyes, her mind flashed back to the night of her first ride on Toothless when she and Hiccup had just returned from Dragon Island. He had worn that same look when she had wanted to tell the world about the giant dragon, but Hiccup was determined no one would be given the chance to harm Toothless; and now she could see that he felt the same way about defending their friends here.

For his part, Hiccup was sure he had let his emotions have far too much sway over the choices he had made and so while they were a strong and powerful part of him, he was determined to hold them in check as best he could. Gobber could not help but look with pride at the way his former apprentice had taken to leadership and he was quite surprised at how much of Stoick he could see in Astrid; for he was sure that the Chief would have reacted just as she had, upon learning of the messenger's execution.

"I don't know why the Castle Courtiers think they can win out in the end when Joric has every town, village and fort between Bolthorn and the border on his side, as well as the entire Elydonian Navy behind him" Hiccup noted to himself.

"They can't win" Astrid was as determined as Hiccup "we won't let them."

"I'm glad you're on our side Astrid" Ivar called out.

Gauk greeted the returning riders to fill them in on the current events while King Joric organised his men.

"Has the attack on Staggshund begun yet?" Hiccup asked.

"Not yet; Gil got word out of Bolthorn when all the soldiers on leave were recalled, and the message came through about two hours ago telling us they have left Bolthorn and are on the march."

"Do we know what their orders are?" Sigrid enquired.

"No but King Joric thinks they may be attempting to divide the country by taking every town on the road east to the border of Mandoria. If the forces from Bolthorn Castle can take the fort that defends that border and convince the commander that Boron is the King in Bolthorn, then the combined forces can then sweep south to the fort on the New Loran border. Then they would hold effective control over one third of the country and we would have a full blown civil war on our hands."

"But King Joric has already sent his messengers out to that entire area" Astrid pointed out "so can't the soldiers from the border forts hold back the forces from Bolthorn?"

"If we had foreseen this eventuality then yes, but King Joric and his advisors all thought that Joric himself would be the main target of those who are supporting Boron as King. You know the old saying 'Chop off the head of the problem and the body soon dies.' They may have decided on a more subtle plan but the good news is they still don't know we have fast dragon access to all towns and forts; so their plan is doomed to fail."

"So what's the problem then" Gobber asked confused.

"The problem is it will take two days at least to get soldiers from the eastern and southern forts up to Staggshund and by then, it will be all over for the townsfolk. Also the forces from Bolthorn would have marched on to the next few villages too."

"Well the Dragon Riders are here to push them back so your worries are over" Hiccup stated with confidence.

"While I thank you for your help and enthusiasm Hiccup, things are not that simple... as usual" King Joric sighed as he approached the Dragon Riders.

"Oh come on Joric I've only just gotten back from Lookout Island; can't things be simple for once?"

"I understand your frustration my friend, but the fact is those soldiers have to fight or be charged with desertion and end up just like the two unfortunate messengers. If we could get re-enforcements to Staggshund in time, we could force the general leading them to surrender though superior numbers alone; but we haven't got enough men here to send."

"I take it you have a plan" Gobber asked.

"Yes; and you are Mulch I assume?" Joric offered his hand.

"Err... no... Gobber the Belch at your service Mr. King; master blacksmith and Stoick the Vast's right hand man, because I haven't got a left one."

"And off key singer" Ivar added.

"That'll be enough from you Ivar. Why did you think I was Mulch?"

"It was the stone hammer on your left arm; I thought that might be what gave me this lump on my head."

"Oh that was you" Gobber smiled but then composed himself "sorry about that."

"All was forgiven long ago but I was still hoping to meet the man who gave it to me. Enough of the pleasantries for now; we've got a town to save."

"We're wasting time here" Hiccup remarked impatiently.

"Yes; your Dragon Riders have been ferrying men and weapons from here ever since we received the news, but even with the two other ships here, we only have about one hundred and seventy men here in total. We've only managed to move about sixty to Staggshund and they'll be facing a force of over four hundred."

"So what do you want us to do then; back them up with a little dragon power?" Hiccup asked.

"Only if my other plan blows up in my face. We've evacuated the people of Staggshund to a forest to the east of the town and my men are doing their best to make the place look as if it is well defended. When the troops arrive I will approach them and demand to talk with the Commander in Charge..."

"No you won't" Olaf interrupted "we've talked about this before Your Majesty; you can't go anywhere near the opposing forces or this'll all over in a heartbeat. Stab stab, bleed bleed and Boron is King forever."

"But so many have risked their lives already and I can't let Kylan do what should be up to me."

"Olaf's right you know" Hiccup pointed out "I know it's difficult, but you have to be protected or Elydonia will fall and Berk will be at war... and I can't believe that I learnt all this from Snotlout."

"What?" everyone said in unison.

"It's something he told me when we were in prison but don't worry about it now" Hiccup shook his head "so Kylan will speak to the Commander."

"Yes alright" Joric resigned himself "I'm still going with you though, but Kylan will be the one to tell him we have the entire navy... we do don't we?"

"Yup; all but one turned back last night" Hiccup was glad to bring some good news for a change.

"Good; then we do have the navy and every town, village and fort so we can give the soldiers from the castle a chance to change sides. We'll only have to attack if the Commander refuses to give in, but I'm sure he'll see reason."

"Okay then" Hiccup ordered "if there's nothing else, everyone to your dragons and Olvor; I want you to take the King and keep him out of trouble."

"Don't worry Hiccup; he wouldn't be the first Elydonian King I've tied down on Boomer and I will if it must be done."

Stoick the Vast was annoyed. That was nothing new in itself but he was unsure about what he was annoyed about. On one hand he had wanted the ship to turn back so he could follow the Dragon Riders his son had just led back to Elydonia. On the other hand Stoick did want to find out what had happened on that ship, as Vikings can be curious people and it had all looked very exciting but confusing while watching it all unfold through his sons telescope. So he could not follow his son's team now that the ship was sailing into the northern inlet of Lookout Island and that was annoying, but it did mean that he may be able to find out what was going on down there.

"Ruffnut; have ya seen that Elydonian chap anywhere?"

"Sure Chief he's over there somewhere in one of the tents" Ruffnut waved her hand toward the back of the campsite "Him and that other guy are writing letters; how boring can you get."

"Err... yes Ruffnut" he tried not to be offended since he too had been writing a lot lately "you can go back to what you were doing now."

"What was I doing?" she pondered as Stoick wandered off.

After a short search, Stoick found Sigfus and Hak arguing about the wording of something Hak had just written.

"Look here Hak; I know you worked hard on it and your penmanship is excellent, but if this letter is meant to be from the King then the spelling has to be perfect."

"Your letter writing will have to wait I'm afraid" Stoick remarked as he entered the tent "there's a ship sailing around the northern side of the island so we'd better get over there now and find out what they're up to."

The two men left the grumbling Hak to recopy his letter and were soon on Bloodstorm flying from the lookout camp on the eastern side of the island, to the place where Nainn had previously set himself up near the inlet. There they found Spitelout with several other Vikings felling trees and working on a house frame.

"Time to take break lads" Stoick called out.

"HEY"

"And lasses – sorry Kara I didn't see you over there; we've got some visitors on the way."

Sigfus and the Vikings watched from a high point near the only landing spot on the inlet as the ship dropped its anchor and sent two rowboats ashore.

"It looks like they're just coming ashore for water" Sigfus reassured Stoick "the boats have more barrels than sailors on them and that well dressed man is only a junior officer."

"Well then" Stoick began to stride off "lets you and me welcome them to Lookout Island then."

**Looking back on this story I am finding it hard to believe that it was originally going to end back when Joric and Hiccup entered the Throne room and convinced the court nobles to accept Joric as King. That's what I first wrote but it was so dull, I deleted most of chapter 29 and changed the whole ending. So now as we get closer to the payoff, the excitement is building inside, as is the frustration every time I have to go to work or sleep instead of writing. Ah but soon... **

_**He has made an error; a grave error and I now have almost everything I need for my plan to succeed thanks to the new easy open sachet's of 'Tender Fishy Chunks' – no more unopenable cans for me - all I need now is... no... That must remain a secret for now. Soon this planet will be nothing but a massive litter tray orbiting the sun. Watch for the signal Cola for I will let you know when it is time to strike.**_

_**Yours megalomaniacally, Moon.**_


	39. Chapter 39

**Definitely no author notes at the end for the next few chapters.  
I think you will understand when you read them.**

39 So Tell Me; Do You Feel Lucky General?

Staggshund was now a very different place to the peaceful little farming community that Hiccup and Astrid had previously known. Although Kylan had asked the people to fully evacuate, many refused to go for two reasons; partly because they wanted to defend their homes, but mainly because they wanted to stand alongside the new King who had impressed everyone with his willingness to stand with them against the army that now marched towards them; although a few did have to go and change their attire when the king arrived with a weyr of dragons as his escort. The western side of the town had been fortified with makeshift barriers where King Jorics men stood ready with swords drawn, arrows notched and crossbows cocked while in the streets behind them, dragons and riders watched their leader silently for the order to attack if they were needed; well... almost silently.

"AARRGH" Snotlout moaned in frustration "this is taking forever; can't we just go already?"

"Your closest Astrid" Ivar noted so she hit Snotlout on the back of the helmet with the flat of her axe.

"Quiet you idiot; we have to wait and see if they want to fight or come over to Jorics side."

"They'll give up as soon as they see my dragon" Snotlout grinned.

"Remember Snotlout; there are over four hundred of them."

"Really? Oh... yeah... okay let's see how Kylan goes first then."

"Bright boy" Ivar nodded.

"Wake me if anything happens" Gobber requested before he got the same punishment as Snotlout did from Astrid.

"Stay... alert... okay?"

"Alright alright; you're more like Stoick than Hiccup is."

"And I'll take that as a compliment" she replied.

A few yards back from the front line, Hiccup and Toothless stood with the King as Kylan bravely walked out to meet the distant approaching army.

"I guess we'll know in the next hour" King Joric sighed.

"We'll follow this inlet first to see if it's fed by any freshwater streams" the young officer ordered his men as he picked up a medium sized keg.

"That sounds like a good idea" Stoicks voice boomed out from behind them "you should find some in just over an hour and your kegs will be full in no time at all."

"Ah... good morning" the young man put his hand to the hilt of his sword but stopped when he saw the man who spoke did not "I'm sorry but... I was lead to believe that this island was uninhabited."

"Nainn didn't see the whole island; I am Chief Stoick the Vast of Berk and I assume from your small number that you have only come for water."

"Chief Stoick? You know our new King do you not?"

"So you are Jorics men... I was concerned about that because you have Nainn on your vessel."

"But how did you know..."

"When you're a Chief" Stoick grinned "you have to know these things."

"Err... yes sir... Prince Nainn was in command of a fleet of eight ships, but when word came through about King Joric, Captain Pratt had him arrested."

"Did you say Pratt?" Sigfus burst out from the trees followed by several Vikings "is that Julius Pratt?"

"Yes sir" the officer and men snapped to attention when they saw the blue vest and royal insignia that Sigfus wore "Captain Julius Pratt was in command until he willingly gave the ship over to Acting Captain Fitch sir."

"So where are Nainn and Pratt now; in the brig?" Sigfus grinned.

"Prince Nainn is sir; he resisted arrest and err... pushed over most of the ships water barrels sir, but Captain Pratt has been confined to his cabin and is being very cooperative sir."

"At ease men" Sigfus sighed disappointed at the news that Pratt wasn't in chains.

"Maybe we should go and visit these prisoners" Stoick suggested.

"That... is an idea whose time has come" Sigfus agreed.

"Spitelout; you and the others help these men with their water problem while Sigfus and I pay Nainn a little visit."

"You're gonna enjoy this" Spitelout grinned "ain't ya Chief?

"That I am Spitelout; that... I... am."

Acting Captain Fitch watched the boat return with its new passenger curiously, but ordered his men to help them aboard when he noticed the royal coat of arms on one of the men's clothing.

"Commander Fitch: acting Captain of the Victorious" he introduced himself "and you are?"

"Sigfus Jolfson and this is Chief Stoick the Vast; we have come to see your prisoners."

"Certainly sir... this way."

"It's alright son... I know the way."

"Well well well" Julius Pratt grinned "it certainly did not take you very long to track me down."

"Just my good fortune I guess" Sigfus noted as he walked into the captain's cabin without knocking.

"So tell me then; how did you do it?"

"I assume you mean how did I get Rekkur off the throne and Joric onto it?"

"What else?" one could almost hear the slime dripping in Pratt's voice.

"You'll be pleased to know that I had nothing to do with Rekkurs downfall, because he did it to himself... the arrogant idiot."

"And how did he do that then?"

"Rekkur made another enemy... you know... like he always does, but this one wasn't gonna put up with his bullying tactics and so Chief Stoick took him down..." Sigfus snapped his fingers "just like that."

"Ah... the new ally of good King Joric; so Stoick kills Rekkur and you give him... what... lands... title?"

"You're thinking about your own way of doing things. Stoick didn't kill Rekkur; he captured the former king and not for me, but because Nainn and Rekkur are the idiots who tried to take over Stoick's lands and kill his people even though the Chief offered them a truce on more than one occasion."

"So now he's got Rekkur and you've got me. Are you going to take your revenge against me now or does the fact that I am an unarmed prisoner bother you at all?"

"So that's why you gave yourself up" Sigfus nodded "Fitch mentioned that you'd handed over command to him before he even knew about the new King, and then he says you confessed to something about helping Rekkur."

"Yes indeed and that confession will save me from the noose or the firing squad; maybe even prison if your new King has any honour."

"Just what are you thinking, you toad of a man?"

"Insults; that's all you have isn't it? When I turned you in for your part in the conspiracy to overthrow Rekkur, it was you who was the traitor and I who was the patriot. I proved that to be true when I willingly followed King Jorics order, that you wrote I noticed, and placed myself into custody on his command."

"And you think that will help you?" Sigfus grimaced.

"Maybe, but it depends; are you desperate enough to risk punishing me?"

"I don't see any risk."

"Then you're not as smart as you think you are; I take it that all of the ships in the fleet received copies of those letters you sent and so you now expect the Officers and men who served under Rekkur, to now swear allegiance to Joric. But how willing do you think they will be to follow your orders, when they find out that you punished one of their colleges; someone who did nothing more than what they too have done. They served King Rekkur and so did I; they acknowledged Joric as his rightful successor and so do I. So if you try to imprison or execute me because of your desire for petty vengance, then you can be sure that each and every one of them will start to wonder if they could be the next one on your list of revenge. This could be the start of a purge to remove all of the old guard and replace them with your people. At best you'll have nothing but mass desertions, but at worst... mutiny... piracy... civil war; take your pick."

"I thought I already knew the reason why I hated you, but I was wrong" Sigfus sneered.

"You just can't accept the truth that there is only one traitor in this cabin... and it's not me."

Stoick did not like the look on Sigfus' face when he emerged from the Captain's cabin and neither did Commander Fitch.

"Sir; did you want the Captain placed in the hold with Prince Nainn sir?"

"What? Err... no Commander; Nainn is no longer a prince and he is guilty of many crimes against our allies but the Captain... he err... did the best he could under Rekkurs leadership, so you um... did the right thing. No need to do any more than confine him for now until you return to Elydonia."

"Will the Captain be charged with anything sir?"

'Dammit' Sigfus thought; he could see it in the Commanders face; he was worried about what Pratt might have done and was wondering if he could be charged with the same crime.

"I don't think so Commander; I'll talk to the King and I think everything will be alright."

Sigfus could see the relief in the Officers eyes, as his own future suddenly looked much brighter.

"I think we should go and see the former prince now" Sigfus decided.

"Before we do" Stoick interrupted "when he was taken prisoner, did Nainn have in his possession a dagger in a carved sheath with the Berk crest on the blade?"

Stoick took the axe he had slung over his back and showed the crest engraved on it to Fitch.

"Yes he did; I assume that it was stolen from you?"

"No, I gave it to him as a warning, but he doesn't need it anymore."

Fitch had the Quartermaster return the knife to Stoick who followed Sigfus down into the hold of the ship where they found a cage six feet wide and four feet deep that contained three things; a bench, a bucket and a Nainn.

"Oh how the mighty have fallen" Sigfus shook his head with a frown, but just couldn't hide the satisfaction in his voice.

"Who...who are you?" the former prince enquired as he rose up from the bench and almost tripped over the bucket.

"It figures that you wouldn't remember me, but I have a friend here with me and I do believe he is an old friend of yours too."

"Oh... I wouldn't go as far as to say that" Stoick remarked as he stepped out of the shadows at the bottom of the steps.

Hiccup scanned the approaching army through his telescope as Kylan stood alone out on the road armed with nothing but a white flag of truce and his heart skipped a beat at what he saw.

"Excuse me Your Majesty; let's go bud" Hiccup and Toothless ran back to the other Dragon Riders waiting in the street and called them into a huddle.

"You all know what we're going to do if Kylan brings back bad news, but I just realised that we've overlooked something. Joric said that there are certain rules of battle that the Generals and their armies will follow. But I just recognised the man leading the troops from Bolthorn; it's not a General but one of the nobles from the throne room I saw the night Joric and I were in the castle, and they are all self serving and unpredictable so listen up."

"HICCUP!" Joric called after the Dragon Master had been with his people for several minutes.

"You called?" he replied as Toothless trotted back to the King.

"The troops have stopped and the General is approaching Kylan with a small force and that's not right; he should go alone or sent someone else – alone and unarmed."

"I think I know why" he handed over his telescope.

The King pondered the strange device and then placed it to his eye as he had seen Hiccup do.

"WHOH" he remarked in surprise "this thing is amazing."

"Look at the guy on the horse" Hiccup suggested.

"TOSH!" Joric declared with surprise as he recognised the man who was clearly shouting at Kylan.

"You know him then?"

"Yes... if they were going to send one of their own out, then it figures the nobles would send Lord Tosh. The eastern borderlands are his lands so the officers at the border fort are more likely to believe him about who is King in Bolthorn" Joric handed back the telescope.

"Don't worry about that happening; we won't let him or his army anywhere near the eastern border for..."

Hiccup looked through the telescope just in time to see Lord Tosh turn and shout at the men who protected him. Kylan put his hands out in front of him and slowly backed up as one of the soldiers raised his crossbow, took aim and fired.


	40. Chapter 40

40 What Is It Good For?

"RIDERS; GO GO GO!" Hiccup shouted as Kylan dropped to the ground.

The people defending Staggshund had risen up as soon as they had heard Hiccups call, but they all had to duck down again as a small force of dragons sped away only a few feet above their heads. Toothless sent out a single plasma blast that landed with great precision a few feet in front of Lord Tosh's horse causing the animal to rear up and drop its rider to the ground. The Elydonian Lord who had thought he could easily send out his forces long before the defenders of Staggshund could reach him, suddenly found himself flat on his back watching a mythical creature fly overhead as fast, it seemed, as a lightning bolt.

Hiccup kept Toothless' plasma in reserve at first because he knew this could be a long battle. So the dragon and rider flew straight out at high speed only inches above the heads of the ranks and ranks of troops of the Third Battalion, who stood to attention on the road. Many of the soldiers had readied their weapons as the screaming sound of the attacking Night Fury had filled their ears, but they were totally unprepared for the great speed of the dragon. Every one of them who fired an arrow or bolt, missed by a mile as Toothless was gone before they could hope to react. Several of them even shot one of their own men as they tracked the dragon's flight path too slowly and others were hurt or killed when arrows fired almost straight up fell back to earth.

As Hiccup and Toothless continued to attack any and every group ready to fight, the Gronckles spread out and hovered high overhead dropping Lava Bombs to slow the now advancing army while Astrid and Snotlout escorted Olvor and Boomer as she attempted to retrieve Kylan.

"YEAH; YOU WANT A PIECE OF ME AND MY NIGHTMARE?" Snotlout shouted as the troops near Kylan helped Lord Tosh to retreat to the rear lines.

"Cover us Boomer" Olvor told her dragon as she jumped off and rushed over to their fallen friend.

Without hesitation the massive Zippleback took to the air and laid down a long thick cloud of green gas in a half circle about twenty feet out from Olvor and Kylan that when ignited, totally obscured them from the vision of the opposing army.

"Wha... who..." Kylan was alive but loosing blood fast as Olvor picked him up and called to her dragon.

The ground shook as Boomer did not waste time with a soft landing. His left head turned around to Olvor and gently helped her slide Kylan onto the litter saddle, while his right head scanned the surrounding area looking for trouble. As she climbed onto the Zippleback, Olvor looked back at the forces from Staggshund as they neared running, shouting and waving their weapons at the soldiers from Bolthorn; she shook her head in disgust when she saw who was leading them.

"ASTRID" Olvor got the young girls attention and pointed back toward the town.

"Why that pig headed moron!" Astrid fumed as she turned Stormfly away from the battle.

"SNOTLOUT; COVER OLVORS RETREAT."

"I'M ON IT" he called back.

Boomer was just lifting off as Stormfly zoomed overhead and back towards the advancing line of defenders.

"Uh oh!" King Joric eyes grew wide as the claws of the Deadly Nadder swept him off his feet and bore him back to Staggshund.

"HEY... PUT ME DOWN."

"Not on your life Your Most Royal Idiot" Astrid was most adamant "Hiccup would be very upset with you if he saw you out here; and upset with me if I didn't stop you, so shut your regal face and enjoy the ride."

As she dropped the King off at the back of the town Astrid noticed an old hay cart out the back of a small hut and an idea came to mind.

Olvor hurriedly dropped off of Boomer as he landed and slid Kylan off the dragons back.

"You there" she called to a nearby villager "get that bag off my dragon and follow me."

The frightened man approached the Zippleback very slowly and began to shake.

"Oh for goodness sake" she sighed "BOOMER; give him the bag."

The right head reached back and picked up Olvors doctoring bag and swung it over to the man and dropped it into his arms.

"There; you've got it, now FOLLOW ME" she shouted.

Olvor kicked open the door to the nearest house and took Kylan inside. She placed him on the kitchen table and began to examine the wound.

"Look in the bag for a pointed knife, some woollen pads and a stone bottle."

While the man searched for the requested items Olvor tore Kylans shirt open to get better access to the bolt in his shoulder; although she was no stranger to bad wounds, what she saw even surprised the Viking surgeon.

"Thank you" she took the medical supplies from the man "now get out."

"But I can help..."

"I SAID GET OUT!"

He got out.

"IVAR" Hiccup called out "THE GRONCKLES NEED TO LOAD UP WITH ROCKS; GET ODD AND FOLLOW ME."

Soon the Night Fury was on the attack again flanked by a Nightmare and a Nadder as the battalion leaders took advantage of the retreating Gronckles to advance their forces and fire several volleys into the advancing defenders. Twelve of Jorics men were taken down by the rain of arrows before the three dragons could stop the advance by flying low and fast through the middle of the enemy lines sending soldiers flying in all directions with blasts of both fire and wind from their mighty wings.

Taking advantage of the confusion in the enemy ranks, Olaf and Gobber postponed their temporary retreat and followed a similar path to the other three dragons but at a much lower altitude. Soldiers flew high and low in all directions as the Gronckles barrelled through the enemy lines causing even more chaos and confusion than the first three dragons had.

None of the enemy battalions remained intact, but had all begun to spread themselves and make their way out of the fields that lined the roads, and into the adjoining forests. At first Hiccup thought they were all taking cover and retreating, but he soon noticed that many were using the cover of the under growth to advance closer to the town, while those still out in the open kept the defenders of Staggshund busy in hand to hand combat.

"Toothless; take out that tree" Hiccup noticed the man behind it was giving orders and directing his troops forward to flank the town.

The trunk of the tree exploded into burning splinters as the lightning fast plasma struck it four feet off the ground, throwing the man crouched low behind it out into the open from where he was plucked from the ground by the black dragon. The man screamed and struggled as he was lifted higher, but Hiccups attention was drawn to the troops he was leading around the side of the town; without their leader, they had begun to scatter back into the forest and an idea began to form.

"Give the call bud" Hiccup told Toothless who gave a long loud roar to get the Dragon Riders attention.

The dragons soon gathered high above the battlefield as Hiccup gave new orders.

"Keep an eye out for anyone leading or giving orders and grab them if you can. Hopefully we'll throw off their ability to function cohesively for a while. Gobber I want you to fly over the battlefront and sound the retreat; we need to get everyone to regroup back in town just in case they succeed in flanking Staggshund."

With the riders on their way, Hiccup and Toothless sped down to the centre of town where some of the wounded had gathered.

"We're gonna try and bring in some of the leaders" Hiccup called to one of the men from Jorics ship "tie 'em up and hold them here."

The sailor waved in acknowledgment as Toothless lifted into the sky once more.

"Okay bud; let's go and see if we can find Lord Tosh."

Hiccup could see the townspeople and sailors following the call to fall back as the Gronckles, now with fresh rocks in their stomaches, covered the retreat. The other Dragon Riders continued to dive on any group advancing towards the town, while plucking out any soldier or officer trying to give orders before taking them back to the centre of Staggshund.

The new plan seemed to be slowly turning the tide and as Toothless gained height, Hiccup could see though most of the troops from Bolthorn still standing were also advancing, many were fleeing in several directions. The fact that they had found themselves unexpectedly up against dragons in this battle, he believed to be the prime reason for this behaviour. Hiccup continued to scan the land west of the battlefield until at last he spotted the most organised group of retreaters he had ever seen.

"There he is bud; surrounded by bodyguards."

Toothless dived down towards the group and sent out a plasma blast sending five of them flying, but the others did not scatter as Hiccup expected. They instead put Lord Tosh behind them and took aim with their crossbows. Hiccup soon realised that these men were not your average soldiers because they did not let their bolts all fly at once and leave themselves undefended; each one would take careful aim at the dragon and fire in turn and then quickly begin to reload his weapon while the next one fired and then the next. Toothless soon found he was completely unable to get anywhere near to their target as he had to constantly keep dodging and weaving to avoid the expert shooting that did not let up for a second.

"Break off Toothless" Hiccup ordered the dragon and they looped away out of range and gained height.

"Right then time to go for broke" Hiccup decided as they reached the high clouds "we'll go in fast and try to catch them off guard."

After looping around Tosh's bodyguards while hidden inside the clouds, Toothless folded in his wings and plunged straight down from out of the sky. As the dragon reached his top speed, he opened his wings ever so slightly so that he could bring himself out of the dive. The dragon streaked down at an extremely sharp angle straight towards the huddled men. The telltale sound that heralded a Night Fury attack soon drew the attention of the bodyguards who all raised their weapons and trained them on the rapidly advancing dragon ready to fire and bring him down.

"GET READY TOOTHLESS" Hiccup called and the dragon inhaled deeply and readied himself to fire.

Down below, the commander of the bodyguards ordered his men to hold their fire until he was sure the dragon was close enough to receive the full volley. Hiccup and the Commander stared straight into each other's eyes over the great distance that was rapidly closing, when suddenly and without warning, a Deadly Nadder streaked overhead and an old hay cart smashed into the ground to the side of Tosh and his men, showering them all with flying lumps of wood. Hiccup and Toothless were in mild shock as the dragon spread out his wings to slow his descent towards the wounded and unconscious guards. They glided in and picked up the best dressed man and lifted up into the sky once more.

"You're welcome" Astrid grinned as she and Stormfly up flew along side of them.

"Oh... yes thank you; thank you so much" Hiccup smiled "Hey; do you see that guy with the shiny helmet? He's the guy that was giving all the orders."

"I'll go pick him up" Astrid replied as Stormfly swooped back down.

Hiccup saw the fighting was continuing both on the ground and in the air as they flew back to Staggshund, so he knew this little victory did not mean the battle was over yet, but it soon would be. Much to Hiccups dismay, he and Astrid could see King Joric fighting with his men at the entrance to the town as they flew over, but he knew how to draw the King away. Toothless and Stormfly sent a few quick fire shots near the advancing army to weaken their resolve, but they both tried not to hurt the enemy too much because they knew the battle would soon be over and Joric would have to try to make peace between the people of Staggshund, and the soldiers who had just attacked their own countrymen.

"WE'VE GOT A PRESENT FOR YOU JORIC" Hiccup called out as they flew overhead.

The dragons dropped the two newest captives twenty yards back inside the town and then sat down on them as Hiccup and Astrid awaited the approaching King.

"Is that Tosh underneath your dragon?" he asked delightedly.

"It sure is and the one under Stormfly is the man who shot Kylan."

"Ah... good... but first things first" the King got down to business "if you will?"

Hiccup asked Toothless to get off of Lord Tosh and the King lifted him up by his chest plate.

"This is over Tosh; call off your forces or else" he threatened and Lord Tosh was in no position to disagree.

"Protect the King" Hiccup called out to some of the sailors nearby who ran off after Joric.

King Joric half dragged Lord Tosh out towards the edge of town and dropped him to the ground.

"Well… what are you waiting for?"

Tosh stood up and cleared his throat "This is Lord Tosh of the Eastern Borderlands…"

"AGAIN; LOUDER" Joric hit the nobleman on the back of his head; he had lost too many friends today because of this man and his power hungry cohorts.

"THIS IS LORD TOSH; I ORDER YOU ALL TO LAY DOWN YOUR ARMS AND SURRENDER."

Those fighting nearby hesitantly obeyed as they could see their leader had been captured, but elsewhere the fighting continued.

"MOVE" Joric unsheathed his sword and pushed his prisoner out towards the southern forest.

"AGAIN!" Joric ordered and the nobleman began his short speech once more.

Hiccup did not feel happy at all, but he could not help smiling anyway through sheer relief that the main battle was slowly coming to an end. Joric's forces had begun to round up the surrendering soldiers who were emerging from the southern forest and sit them down in groups of ten to twenty as the King pushed his captured foe over to the northern side of town to repeat his call to surrender. In the distance Hiccup could see a line of Gronckles flying along behind a large group of men with their arms raised high. Astrid and Stormfly joined Hiccup and Toothless as the captives approached the edge of town and were ordered to sit by one of the Gronckle riders.

"Well done Fishlegs; those Gronckles are a true force to be reckoned with."

"Oh Hiccup" Fishlegs face told Hiccup that his friend was obviously upset.

He scanned the area until he saw... a one legged Viking who was hobbling along behind the captured troops all alone.

"Oh no" Hiccup sighed as he and Astrid quickly ran out to the forlorn Viking.

"Gobber…" Hiccup began "where's Pigg?"

"He… he…" but the big man was unable to finish his sentence.

Astrid put her arm around Gobber and led him back into the village as Hiccup just stood and fumed. He thought about all the times he and his father had tried to make peace with the Elydonians only to be attacked, kidnapped, imprisoned and threatened with execution, but now they had brought down death and destruction to their own people. Although Hiccup liked the new King, as the young Viking walked back into town he promised himself two things; never to put his own desires ahead of his people's wellbeing and also to make damn sure Joric ruled his country the same way.

Astrid continued to comfort Gobber with Fishlegs and Olaf as Hiccup noticed Agnar and Olvor tending to some of the wounded and arguing with the townsfolk. Olvor was demanding that more cloth be torn into bandages and also the tavern owner be made to hand over his strongest alcohol, as her bottle was running low and she had a lot more wounds to clean. There was a question Hiccup wanted to ask of Olvor, but he was worried about what the answer might be."

"Hey Olvor… about Kylan… is he…"

"Well there was a lot of blood loss but" Olvor wondered how Hiccup would react "I think she'll pull through."

"Oh good; at least there's some good news." Hiccup sighed but then his eyes widened "Wait… did you Just say..."

"Yup"

"Are you sure?"

"No it's just a hunch" Olvor said sarcastically "Of course I'm sure you berk from Berk, but keep it to yourself; I only told you because you're the boss of this little outfit and we'll need to discuss what to do later if she doesn't pull through."

"I need time to think" Hiccup declared and wandered off back to the now quiet battlefield.

Astrid noticed the worried young man wander off with his dragon following close behind. She kissed Gobbers cheek and left Fishlegs and Olaf to comfort their fellow Gronckle rider. Hiccup needed some time by himself, she knew that, but Astrid was worried about him and was not willing to let him wander off alone so soon after the battle and besides, she needed him too.

Some of the unarmed troops from Bolthorn were now being escorted out into the field to help recover the dead and Hiccup began to wonder how many of those deaths the Dragon Riders responsible for and then, how many did he kill? Hiccup began to feel ill.

"Hiccup..." he turned at the sound of Astrids voice and managed the smallest of smiles.

"I think it'll take a long time to get over what happened here today" Hiccup resigned himself as Astrid took his arm and they walked off slowly together.

"That cart that I dropped... do you think that any of them..." Hiccup felt her grip tighten as he realised he was not the only one with those thoughts. He began to wonder about Fishlegs and Snotlout; were they feeling it too?

"That cart and everything I did, as well as the other Vikings... well we did our best Astrid. We tried to prevent any of this from happening. Even Kylan put her... his life on the line to try and talk sense into Lord Tosh and he... just..." Hiccup stopped and stared into the distance "is that Hookfang?"

"I saw Snotlout and Hookfang on the northern side of town guarding some prisoners" Astrid replied, but Hiccup had started to walk off.

"It's Viper" he called back as he broke into a run.

"HICCUP WAIT" but nothing would stop him as he ran towards the big red dragon.

Astrid rushed after Hiccup as Viper lifted his head and roared to the approaching Dragon Master. They both knew what that sound meant. It was the sound of an upset dragon; it was the sound of a dragon crying. Hiccup stopped running as he grew closer and Astrid slowed down too when she saw him sink to his knees.

"Hiccup... what is it?" but no answer came.

Slowly and carefully, Astrid drew nearer until she saw, lying on the ground, Ivar; a crossbow bolt buried deep in his back, and his dragon at his side. She dropped to her knees behind Hiccup with her arms around his neck and began to sob uncontrollably.


	41. Chapter 41

41 Moving On

In the small town of Staggshund on the east of Bolthorn, there is a tavern just off the square where home cooked meals can be purchased in the dining room for a reasonable price and enjoyed with a stout ale. But if the local patron or weary traveller is not feeling so inclined to sup, then the front bar usually offered the casual conversation that only good company could bring; normally this would be true but not today. Today the tavern was closed for business but it was far from empty as people came and went with constant regularity bringing much needed information, before being sent out to gather more.

"So what do you think" Godfred asked his brother "should we give it a try?"

"A TRY?" King Joric picked up small glass candle holder and hurled it into the wall "JUST SO MORE PEOPLE CAN DIE? I LOST HALF MY CREW TODAY!"

The King gave a huge sigh and fell back into the chair he had only just arisen from.

"Astrid" Hiccup nodded his head in the direction of the others in the room and then to the door.

She smiled back and nodded to indicate her understanding.

"Come on you lot" she began to herd everyone outside "there's still lots to be done so we'll come back to this later."

"But I need to ask Hiccup about..." Olaf began.

"Later Olaf" she insisted and blew Hiccup a kiss as she closed the door behind her.

The two very different leaders sat on opposite sides of the tavern dining room in uncomfortable silence for a few minutes until the King sighed again.

"I overreacted didn't I?" he confessed to his young companion.

"The word understatement comes to mind, but I do understand. You put so much time and so much effort into trying to make things right, then some idiot comes along and just ruins everything by making trouble for everyone. Then everyone has to suffer and you feel like all of your effort was for nothing and worthless."

"But if you don't give up and keep trying, you'll get there in the end" Stoicks voice boomed from the doorway "Hiccup knows what he's talkin' about; after all he did manage to finally get through to this idiot even if it did cost him one of his legs."

"Dad" Hiccup smiled as he jumped to his feet, but the joy soon left him "I wasn't talking about you then Dad."

"I know son, but if the Yak skin boot fits..."

"You've heard about Ivar and Pigg?"

"Aye son" Stoick sighed and placed his hand on his son's shoulder.

"I've been here for about fifteen minutes: Gobber and Olvor have been filling me in... on all the terrible news."

"Dad... I'm sorry..."

"Don't blame yourself Hiccup, blame this Lord Tosh I've been hearing about."

The King stood to face the mighty Chief "I very sorry as well Stoick; this wasn't your fight and your friend was killed."

"I don't believe for a minute that it wasn't my fight" Stoick interrupted "So far, everyone in charge of Bolthorn has done their best to make an enemy of me, so if we'd decide that this was not our fight and just toddled merrily off home, then we'd only have ourselves to blame when the ships appeared on the horizon again and I've no reason to think that they wouldn't. And what is more, I am very proud of Ivar; his loss is a tragedy for us all, but he died defending Berk and its allies from tyranny just as your men did."

"Thank you Stoick but I don't know what I should do now. Some of those advising me outside want to seize the moment and march on the castle before the rulers there find out their attack has failed, but we still only have half the troops that Bolthorn has; not to mention the walls. The rest think that we should wait a few days and pull troops in from the borderlands, but that would leave us open to attack from another country and either way, it will end up with hundreds more being killed. Trying to do what's good for the country is a lot more complicated that doing what's best for the ship."

"The country is your ship now" Hiccup pointed out "so how would you handle a mutiny onboard ship?"

"A mutiny?" Jorics brain began to fire.

"That's what this is, isn't it?" Hiccup remarked casually "someone trying to take control of Elydonia; so how do you deal with a mutiny?"

"Wait..." Joric started to pace around the room "wait wait wait wait wait wait wait NO!"

The King came to a sudden stop and spun towards Hiccup with a massive grin on his face.

"No... no no no no no no no not a mutiny, but the precursor to the mutiny."

"Well... I'm lost" Hiccup shrugged.

"Ah but that's because you've never faced a mutiny before son" Stoick was beginning to see where Joric was going.

"Oh really Dad? I assume you've met him... tall lad... muscles... rides a Nightmare named Hookfang?"

"No son, I mean a real mutiny. They don't just happen; they build, they fester and that's what we've got here."

"Exactly" the King agreed "When you've got a full blown mutiny on your hands, then most of the ship is against you but during the lead up, all you've got are a few disgruntled officers or crew. So if you can separate them out and keep the rest of your men onside, then the mutiny dies out before it even gets started."

"Ah... and you have most of the country behind you" Hiccup began to understand.

"So now we need to separate the Lords and Ladies of Bolthorn from everyone else; not just physically, but ideologically."

"Great!" Hiccup leaned in "How?"

"The people of Staggshund were behind me because they knew that I was with them but in Bolthorn, the people supporting Boron are telling their own stories to the troops and the town; just like a crewman trying to stir up trouble on a ship. He might say 'The Captain is cruel' and then point out to the men anything mean that the Captain does, like a punishment to a man who steals, as proof of this accusation. So in that kind of situation, a wise Captain will show mercy or even better, take it to the crew and let them decide the fitting punishment for the thief, so that the troublemakers accusation is unable to stand up to scrutiny."

"So how do we do that here?" Hiccup asked.

Joric thought for a moment before he spoke "Like this; follow me."

Hiccup and Stoick followed Joric out as he hurried though the town giving orders for all the soldiers from Bolthorn who had surrendered to be brought together in the town square where they would be addressed by the King. Astrid ran after them as they left the tavern trailed closely by Olaf, Godfred and Sigfus as they all attempted to discover what he was up too.

"I take it that he's reached a decision" Astrid noted.

"I think so" Hiccup replied.

"So are we marching on Bolthorn or sending for reinforcements?" Godfred inquired.

"Err... neither, I think."

"But what else is there?" Olaf asked.

"I'm not sure, but it's something to do with preventing a mutiny before it starts."

"But it's already started" Astrid pointed out what they were all thinking.

"Apparently not" Hiccup explained "this is just the grumbling stage."

"AH! Of course" Sigfus blurt out "Discredit the grumblers – Brilliant."

As all the men tailed the King, Hiccup grabbed Astrids hand and pulled her away from the group.

"Let Joric speak in the town square; I need to get away for a while and you do as well, so no arguments."

Astrid smiled as he dragged her through the back lane to the field where Odd and Sigrid were keeping curious and inexperienced onlookers away from the dragons. So many of the returning townsfolk, along with sailors from the ships off Horston beach, had tried to get a closer look at the beasts that had helped save the town. It had upset some of the more skittish dragons, while the Nadders simply bathed in all the attention. When Stoick had arrived with seven more Dragon Riders in tow, it was decided to place them all in a large fenced off field from where they could easily come and go, but would not encounter strange people walking among them; although many dragons had been more than pleased to wander over to the fence line and receive all the attention the people were willing to give.

Toothless and Stormfly were two such social animals and so their riders did not have to search far in the field to find them.

"Sorry folks" Hiccup waved as he and Astrid leapt into their saddles "time to do a quick aerial patrol."

The small crowd gasped as the dragons lifted off fast, yet gracefully and soon disappeared above the clouds. They flew silently alongside one another for a few minutes just breathing in the thin, crisp air while trying to let the worries of the day and the memories of the battle just drain away, but some thoughts and memories would not be brought to heel so easily.

"Coming down" Astrid called as she dropped onto the saddle behind Hiccup.

"No" she put her hand on his and removed it from the tail locking lever "just fly."

Astrid wrapped her arms around Hiccup's waist and rested her head on the back of his neck as the dragons glided gently above the white clouds. Hiccup loved being so close to her, but he could tell that all was not well. Ivar's death had brought the year of peace to an abrupt end and, being the first since the dragon attacks had stopped, it had affected them both in ways they had not expected; the reality of battle had its consequences.

"I'd ask if you're feeling okay" Hiccup remarked "but I already know... you're not."

With all the captured soldiers gathered in the town square, the King began his address.

"Todays battle was no victory for me: how could it be when so much Elydonian blood was spilt just to protect the power held by the Lords and Ladies of Bolthorn? I'm not sure how many have died, but I am told it is almost one hundred."

"YOU CAME AT US WITH DRAGONS" shouted a man from the crowd who had suffered much loss in the battle.

"LORD TOSH KNEW ABOUT THE DRAGONS... that is why I sent out one of my closest friends under a flag of truce to try and get him to talk with me, but many of you would have seen what he did. YOU ARE ALL SOLDIERS HERE AND YOU KNOW NOT TO DISHONOUR THE FLAG OF TRUCE."

There was a moment of silence and Joric could see that the soldiers had started to question the events in their minds.

"King Rekkur invaded and attacked the Dragon Riders of Berk and so set Elydonia on a path towards total war with these people, but unlike Lord Tosh and his friends, the Berkians although strong enough to win such a war, sent envoys to organise a truce and that is why we have peace all over Elydonia today. We have piece everywhere but here and it is all because a few people in Bolthorn were not willing to give up the power and privilege that they held under Rekkur and were willing to send you out to fight NOT ME and NOT THE PEOPLE OF BERK, but the entire country of Elydonia."

These words made the men all wonder; could any of this be true? Most however were not willing to believe his rhetoric so easily.

"HOW CAN WE KNOW THAT WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS TRUE AND NOT MORE LIES TO GIVE THE COUNTRY OVER TO YOU AND THE INVADERS?" one of them shouted.

"Go home" the king replied and they all gasped at Jorics words; even his allies.

"The vast majority of you are not from Bolthorn, so I will give you all letters asking the people of Elydonia to help you with food and transport. Go home and talk to your families and see for yourselves that the only place where there is unrest in Elydonia is inside Bolthorn Castle. Today you were sent to fight not only my forces and not only the Berkians, but also the townspeople of Staggshund and some of them are among the dead although most of them were evacuated before the attack."

The reality that they had attacked one of their own villages began to sink in.

"Are any of you from here?" Joric asked but the few who were could not raise their hands from shame.

"Lord Tosh's intentions were to follow up the fall of Staggshund, by marching on to every town from here to the Mandorian border; are there any of you from one of those towns?" several hands were raised.

"If the people of Staggshund and the Dragon Riders of Berk had not assisted us in stopping Lord Tosh, then none of your friends and families would have been safe and Tosh would have forced you to fight and kill even your own brothers on the border who protect Elydonia from invasion; so rest up here for as long as you need and then go home."

"Sir" one of the men near the front raised his hands "what about those of us who are from Bolthorn Town; what should we do?"

King Joric got down onto his haunches and looked straight at the man with pity in his eyes.

"I don't know son; I honestly don't know" he stood up again "I thought that we could avoid a battle today, but it seems that the powers behind the false King Boron are willing to do anything to achieve their goals."

A new idea flashed into Joric's mind "Some of the men who fought alongside side you today, have already fled and some of those may return to Bolthorn before nightfall and when the castle hears about their failure today, I dare say that they will enforce marshal law and lock down the town so perhaps I should ask our friends from Berk to take any of you who wish to go, back to Bolthorn so you can warn your families and even flee is you can. I will send people to the surrounding forest to aid any who wish to escape."

Joric had to postpone his address as a loud discussion literally erupted amongst the captives, as one small group of men tried to make their way to the front.

"SIR" the closest called out "we are all from Staggshund so we don't need to go home, but we would like to volunteer to go with you to Bolthorn Forest and help those in the town."

"Thank you men; I accept your kind offer."

"WAIT A MINUTE" Godfred went forward to speak "I would be glad to go with you men to Bolthorn, but the King must remain here; for if the forces of Boron should manage to capture or kill him…"

"Then my brother Prince Godfred would succeed me; I will go with you men and any who will join us."

A loud cheer went up and people who had been fighting to the death earlier in the day, were now moving amongst each other shaking hands and even hugging as they celebrated the first true victory of the day; the reunification of a divided people.

**It appears that I may have made an error and apparently it's a grave error too. Someone has broken into The Barchetta (my ship) and taken six Gallium Grenades, a Neural Defelinator and tiny gun belt. The only clues that I have to this crime are the scratches on the armoury door, a clump of white fur on the keypad lock and an empty sachet of 'Tender Fishy Chunks' in the weapons case, but it can't be Moon... he's sitting in a cardboard box ripping it apart piece by piece... so cute.**


	42. Chapter 42

42 What?

Almost fifteen minutes went by with no words being spoken between the Dragon Riders until Astrid finally broke the silence.

"Those men… that I dropped the cart on… do you think…" but she could not finish.

"I think… there is a very high chance that you may have saved Toothless and me" Hiccup knew what she was thinking, but could not bring himself to say it either.

"I know how good a shot you and Stormfly are, so I know you missed hitting them directly on purpose; but if you had not done what you did, then I would have been forced to fire on them with a Plasma Blast so no matter what happened, even if any of them were killed, I dare say you saved some of their lives too and enabled me to capture Tosh and stop the battle before more people died."

"Thank you but… aren't you just saying that to make me feel better?"

"Yes of course, but Astrid… I don't feel proud of what I've done today and I know that I'll never fully get over it. Even so I agree with my father; it would have been far worse for everyone if we had not helped today and just let Tosh, Boron and the others from the castle slaughter their way all through the country; so no matter how bad I feel about it, I know we had to do what we did."

Without warning Astrid grabbed the back of Hiccups head with one hand and his chin with the other and pulled herself half around him in a strong embrace. His arm moved up her back and his fingers ran through her hair. Hiccup could taste the salt of her tears as they kissed and he could not help but feel both happy and proud to be loved by someone with such passion and compassion, but the words she spoke as their lips parted came as a complete surprise to him.

"Marry me."

"WHAT?"

"Marry me" she repeated "Not now, not today but just… say you'll be mine. I just can't imagine ever being with anyone else but you. You're willing to risk your own life to save your friends without hating your enemies and I want to stand with you… and be with you… forever and always."

"Astrid… you already know the way I feel about you and how long that I've wanted us to be together, so of course the answer is… yes."

"But?" she could see it in his eyes.

"I've been waiting for the right time to ask you and can't help but think that there's a reason why you felt that you had to ask me now."

"Does it bother you that I couldn't wait?"

"No; the answer to 'Marry me' will always be yes, but what's bothering you?"

Astrid moved back into the saddle again and resumed her previous position of arms on his chest and forehead on the back of his neck.

"When we found Ivar… well… you saw what I did."

"It's natural to cry at a time like that, especially after all that you'd been through."

"It's not that though; it's… afterwards… when we were walking back to tell everyone the bad news. I suddenly thought… what if it was you… or me… and the thought that one of us could have gone to the grave and left all this unsaid, just because I was avoiding it, made me realize I did not want people to remember us as friends, but as the couple we already are. It may sound very silly and selfish, but I want everyone to know how much I love you and how one day we'll be Mr. Astrid and Mrs. Hiccup."

"What?" Hiccup laughed.

"Oh shut up; I'm emotional and I'm prattling."

"Yes, you are, Oww!" Astrid bit his ear.

"This whole thing with Joric isn't over yet and I wanted it settled; just in case."

"Well it's settled" he told her "but I wonder if we shouldn't wait a month or so before we announce it to everyone."

"Why is that?" she asked.

"I don't think Snotlout could take it."

"SEE" Astrid laughed "still thinking of the wellbeing of your enemies."

"Snotlout is not my enemy."

"Okay then I'll concede that if you'll concede 'Nemesis'; deal?"

"Deal" Hiccup agreed.

Just like every other town in Elydonia, Bolthorn was surrounded by acres and acres of farm land that became lightly wooded areas before turning into thick forests the further from the castle one traveled. The three main roads that led from Bolthorn Town to the north, east and south branched off with seven minor roads that wound off through the woods. Thanks to the quick planning of King Joric the Fifth, as well as his friends and advisors, new guard posts had sprung up on all of these roads; usually close by to a farm house or heavily wooded area where a dragon or two could be easily hidden.

On one of these roads leading due south, was a small covered cart driven by a merchant with his ten year old son who found themselves accosted by an odd group of scruffy looking sailors, soldiers and a muscular young man with a dented horned helmet on his head.

"Good day sir" one of the soldiers called out to the man "I request that you stop for a moment."

"Take what you like" the merchant replied nervously "just please don't hurt us."

"We're not highwaymen sir; we are just here to inform you that Boron is not king of Elydonia."

"Yes he is; heralds have gone all throughout the town and notices about the coronation…"

"But you'll soon find wherever you travel throughout the countryside, that Joric the Fifth is king."

"Joric the Fifth? So the old king's son still lives."

"His grandson actually and you're probably doing the right thing by leaving Bolthorn; there's no telling what that lot in the castle will do when they find out."

A sudden roar caught everyones attention as a jet of flame erupted into the air from behind some trees followed by a frail voice.

"Err… Snotlout; a little help please."

"Dammit Hookfang" Snotlout stormed off "can't you sit still for five minutes?"

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?" the merchant cried out as his wide eyed son grabbed his arm and held it tight.

"Oh don't worry about that" the soldier reassured the two on the cart "it's just the young lad's dragon; it gets bored very quickly."

Toothless and Stormfly set down on the eastern side of Staggshund in the middle of the road; Hiccup decided against leaving the dragons in the field again as most of the others were gone. Astrid slid off Toothless to walk with Stormfly as they wandered in to town and looked for a familiar face. One soon appeared in the form of Fishlegs a few houses back from the tavern.

"Where have you two been? Stoicks not happy at all."

"He will be" Hiccup smiled knowing that his father would be overjoyed when he heard the news about the official couple.

"Olvor wants to see you too; she's in that house back there" he pointed it out to them "and she said you should hurry."

"We will Fishlegs but I wanted to ask first; I've not been feeling very good since the battle; how are you doing?"

"To tell you the truth, at the moment I'm trying not to think about it. Snotlout doesn't even want to be near anyone from Berk and has gone off with some of Jorics guys to man a checkpoint somewhere and Ruff and Tuff have been really annoying since they got here with your Dad. They keep going on and on about how great it must have been to fight in a real battle; I think that's why Snotlout left."

Hiccup and Astrid looked forlornly at each other.

"Yeah, I think we know how he feels" Astrid looked down at her feet.

"Well now that you're both back, I'm headed over to where Joric and your Dad are; a few miles out of Bolthorn. They want you to join them there as soon as you've finished with Olvor."

"Okay Fishlegs; we'll see you soon" Hiccup smiled at his friend as he climbed onto Meatlug and lifted off.

"I wonder what Olvor wants?" Astrid asked rhetorically.

"Well now that you're my partner and confidant I can tell you."

"Tell me what?"

"Kylan has a little secret."

"YOUR MAJESTY" one of the converted soldiers burst into the farmhouse "we've captured two of Lord Tosh's bodyguards sir; they're being held over in the tool shed."

"Appropriate" Sigfus nodded "since they're all a real bunch of…"

"Yes alright Sigfus; go and talk to them and see what you can find out" the King ordered.

"A beach, a tavern and now a farmhouse three miles from Bolthorn" Godfred smiled as he warmed himself by the fireplace "as kings go, you certainly have put the seat of Elydonian power in some interesting places."

"Listen Fred" Joric pointed his finger at his brother "if you want to make smart comments all day, then I'll organize to get you on the next dragon back home to Vesterham where you can play Prince all you want; and see to the cows why'll your there."

"Okay Joric" Godfred laughed "keep your crown on; I'll be good."

"I haven't got a crown yet so why don't you just tell me why you came in here, or is it just the fireplace?"

"No no I do have some news; Stoick and his Dragon Riders have arrived with the men you sent out to collect civilian clothes and so far we've been able to send fourteen soldiers from Bolthorn back home incognito and more will be leaving soon so I think you can expect a lot of people on the roads out of town as soon as it gets dark."

"We've got all the towns around Bolthorn prepared to receive them" the King noted "so I think we're ready."

A soldier knocked on the door and entered with more news "Another seventeen soldiers who fled the battle have been found on the road to Bolthorn sir. We've told them what happened and they're very happy to go home for a week. They've given travel letters but did you want to talk to them before they leave?"

"Yes that would be a good idea; I'll be right out."

"Sir" the soldier saluted and left.

Joric picked up a cushion from a nearby chair and threw it at the back of his brother head.

"Stop warming your hands and go make yourself useful."

"At once Your most Royal Majesty" Godfred grinned as he gave an elaborate bow.

"You can be a real prat sometimes" Joric laughed.

"Hello" Olvor looked down at Kylan as her eyes flickered open "how are you feeling?"

"Like a man with a bad hangover; tired, sore and wondering what happened."

"You were shot with a crossbow bolt at close range and… not exactly a man with a bad hangover are you?"

Kylan shut her eyes again and grimaced "Oh no; I suppose everyone knows now."

"Not yet, only the three of us and we're all Berkians so your secrets safe for now."

"And who are you three?" Kylan asked still a little groggy.

"Well Hiccup and Astrid over there you already know and I'm Olvor; how do you do."

"But who… who got the bolt out of me?"

"I did" Olvor answered a little affronted.

"But you're a woman too."

The three Berkians all looked at each other in surprise.

"Have been my whole life" Olvor smiled "and I'm quite happy about it too, but I assume by the way you've been hiding the fact, that you're not happy."

"Oh I don't mind being a woman, I just wanted to do more."

"Wait a minute" Astrid interrupted "I've just realized something; all of the people that we've dealt with here in Elydonia have been men."

"Yeah your right" Hiccup agreed "except Dame Incontinentia but she's one of the Court Nobles."

"So women don't do much here?" Astrid asked.

"Oh they do a lot" Kylan replied "just nothing interesting; it's generally believed that women aren't strong enough."

A roar of laughter erupted from the Berkians "I'm glad Sigrid and Freya didn't hear you say that" Olvor said between smirks.

"Or smart enough" Kylan continued and Hiccup fell of the table he was sitting on with a loud thump.

"Gothi would have cracked your skull with her staff" Astrid remarked as she wiped a tear from her eye.

"I'm so glad that you all find my problems so amusing" Kylan remarked as she lay in her bed.

"I'm sorry" Hiccup tried to compose himself "it's just when you said not strong enough, Sigrid still hold the record for the largest wild dragon ever caught, trained and ridden."

"Ah yes" Astrid nodded "and she still likes to tell people about Buttercup; I wish he was still with us."

"Are you going to tell everyone?" Kylan asked with concern in her voice.

"I don't know" Hiccup said "do ya think we should?"

"Well if she wants to keep it a secret" Astrid remarked.

"Although you may find it difficult Kylan" Olvor nodded "but I suppose it's your choice."

"That's good enough for me" Hiccup stood up "We'll do our best not to let on as best we can."

"I see it's not much different for you people; even a young man outranks an adult woman" Kylan remarked and was very annoyed when they all started laughing again.

"WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE?"

"I sorry really, but you keep saying these funny things" Hiccup wiped his eyes.

"I'm one of the few people who can give direct orders to the Chief" Olvor noted.

"And Hiccup is in charge because…" Astrid began but found herself lost for words "well… because he is."

"And it's not my fault I'm a man."

"Boy" Astrid smirked.

"I come from a long line of Chiefs" Hiccup told Kylan "and more than one of them, in the last three hundred years, has been a woman; my Great Grandmother Persephone Strong-arm the Awesome being the last and if we have a daughter then she…"

"Hiccup!" Astrid caught him but it was too late as Olvors face lit up.

"Oh, are you two going to have…"

"NO!" they both shouted in unison.

"It's just that we're sort of… engaged" Astrid revealed "but we haven't told anyone yet."

"Well then" Kylan grinned "my silence can be bought."

"Mine can't" Olvor smirked.

**A very disturbing series of events have taken place here in Adelaide. There have been reports in the news that the zoo has been broken into and someone was in the Tiger enclosure. Don't worry; the Tigers are fine but some large clumps of white fur were found and the Sumatra Monkeys were greatly disturbed when the Keepers arrived in the morning. I checked on Moon this morning and he was sitting by the back door as usual waiting for his breakfast while the Police Helicopter circled overhead… but he was covered in monkey poo.**


	43. Chapter 43

43 Let Me Take You By The Hand  
(and lead you through the streets of Bolthorn)

"Hey Dad" Hiccup was not looking forward to explaining his disappearance to his father but he knew it had to be done.

"Well it's about time you turned up; we've got work to do to prepare for tomorrow. Fishlegs has come up with an interesting idea and we're tryin' to work out the details."

"Dad before you go too much further, we need to talk."

Stoick knew that look and over the past year, he had learnt how to listen "What is it Hiccup?"

The father and son turned away from the road and the farmhouse and began to walk very slowly as they talked.

"It's the battle we fought back at Staggshund Dad; it wasn't like back in the ol' days during the Dragon Wars."

"Ah of course; fighting against men is very different. I'm sorry son, I didn't even think about it."

"I thought I was prepared, we all did but when Kylan got shot and all hell broke loose..."

"Fishlegs told me you noticed trouble brewing when Tosh arrived; well done Hiccup."

"Thanks but no matter what we tried, there was still no way to avoid killing people Dad... and... and... none of us can stop thinking about it; Snotlout has even disappeared, gone off with some of the soldiers."

"I thought you sent him."

"No Dad I don't think he wanted to face us at the moment so when this is all over, me and the gang... well... we're not going home."

"So you're going to stay here for a while then."

"No; I think we'll just fly off to somewhere lonely for a few days to camp, talk and stuff like that."

"Clear your heads?"

"Exactly; is that okay with you?"

"Do what you have to do and I'll be waiting for you; we'll talk some more when you get home, if you want too of course; do you want to go now?"

"Thanks Dad but I think we all want to see this thing through to the end."

"Okay son" and they turned to walk back to the farmhouse.

The sun was nearing the horizon and a steady stream of people had been making their way into Bolthorn and through the streets all afternoon. One young man walked casually up to the front door of a terraced house and knocked firmly.

"Hello yes" an annoyed man opened the door "make it quick; me dinners on the table."

"Hi Dad" the man on the step grinned.

"SON; what are you doin' here? I thought your battalion was going to be gone for days; weeks even."

"Yes we were, but we were well and truly defeated at Staggshund; the very first town."

"You escaped; how?"

"No Dad I didn't escape, the King let us all go."

"The King let you go after you where beaten? That doesn't sound like Boron and his cronies."

"Not Boron Dad, the real King of Elydonia; Joric the Fifth. Now go and pack a travel bag and as soon as it's dark, take the whole family and go and visit Uncle Heath in Port Yoric for a few days; I have to go and warn the neighbours."

"Can't you come with us?"

"Sorry Dad, but King Joric needs us."

"That was a beautiful sunset" Astrid sighed "it's such a pity that I couldn't share it with my beloved."

"Hmm" Hiccup replied.

"I should have proposed to Snotlout; at least I would have gotten a more attentive fiancé."

"Hmm"

"I've got a secret just like Kylans; I'm really a man."

"Hmm... What?"

"Ahh... so you can hear me."

"I'm sorry Astrid; my mind was miles away."

"You're still thinking about Staggshund aren't you?"

"More about what could go wrong tomorrow."

"We don't have to worry about tomorrow; Fishlegs idea is for the Elydonians to pull it off."

"I meant tomorrow night; it's a good plan, but plans don't always go to plan."

"You should have planed that sentence better, but don't fret about it; we've made the assumption that the castle morons will act foolishly, and you know they will, so we can't go wrong. Now stop moping and tell me how beautiful I look in the moonlight."

"You look wonderful in any light."

"Aww thank you Hiccup."

"...for a man... OWW!"

"You men look brilliant; just like my grandfathers guards" King Joric addressed the thirty soldiers "I assume you're all clear on your orders?"

"Yes sir" their leader replied "don't break too early, but don't let them get close enough to recognise any of us."

"And don't get caught" the King added "Now remember; there are two more small battalions just like yours on the north side and south side of Bolthorn so if we can pull this off, then we should be able to reduce the castles troop numbers by another three quarters and increase ours by over two hundred."

"If I may sir" one of the soldiers stepped forward "I've been in the army for seven years and this is the first time I've ever seen a battle plan that wasn't just kill them before they kill you and we all think your idea shows true insight."

"I thank you on behalf of those whose idea it really was."

"Wasn't it yours sir?"

"You will find that most of the things that a King or Noble does of any worth, was someone else's plan; we just take the credit."

The men began to laugh "So who's idea was it sir?"

"The idea first came to me via the Viking Chief from a round young man who rides one of the brown bulbous dragons. I think they called him Fish... something."

"Well if this works sir, I think he deserves a medal."

"I will take that under advisement; now move out and be careful."

"ENTER" Dame Incontinentia replied to the knock on the door to her private rooms "Ah King Boron; so good to see you on this fine morning. Would you care to join me for breakfast?"

"Thank you but no; do please continue with yours though. I've come because I have just received a very strange report."

"And you've brought it to me personally; how convenient."

"Err… yes… well… it seems that most of the people are missing."

"What people Your Majesty?"

"The people from the town; most of the shops are shut and many houses are just… empty."

"Where have they all gone?"

"I'm sure I don't know Ma'am."

"Now listen here Boron; we've let you be King because we in the Court of Bolthorn were sure that you would run the country well and do as you were directed; losing all the peasants is NOT a very good start because without them, who's going to do all the work? Now get out there and do what needs to be done to get them back."

"Yes Ma'am… erm… enjoy your breakfast."

"Thank you Your Majesty; I will."

King Boron left the Dame to her repast and closed the tall ornate door behind him just as one of the Generals of Bolthorn Castle strode up being followed by an exhausted page.

"Your Majesty; word has just come through that Bolthorn is under attack."

"UNDER ATTACK; FROM WHOM?"

"Three small battalions to the north, south and east each comprising of about twenty to thirty men marching under the banner of the old King Joric the Fourth."

"He can't be serious; we drove Joric and those with him out of Bolthorn days ago and now he thinks he can take the castle with less than a hundred men?"

"It does seem strange Your Majesty."

"What do you suggest we do General?"

"We should send out one entire battalion of one hundred men against each of Joric's forces and totally wipe them out. That should make him think twice about sending troops against Bolthorn ever again."

"Right... good... let me know when it's done."

"Will do Your Majesty" the General turned and marched off.

Down on the road to Bolthorn, Joric men marched towards the castle as slowly as they could.

"We're well in sight of the castle walls" their leader announced "so let's stop here and do some drills while we wait for them; make it look like we know what we're doing and think we can win. We want them to send far more men than they need to"

"YES SIR" the men shouted back and began their battle drills.

Three hundred soldiers marched out of Bolthorn castle and split up before going through the streets. When they all reached the edge of the town, King Joric's small battalions of men formed ranks and readied for the attack five from hundred yards away.

"Looks like they're ready for us General" the point soldier called back to the rear officer.

"WE OUT NUMBER THEM BY MORE THAN THREE TO ONE; SO CUT THEM DOWN. CHAAAAAAAARRRRGE!"

The forces of Bolthorn ran yelling and screaming towards the small band in front of them but Jorics forces held their ground – for about half a minute.

"RUN AWAY!" the leader cried out, but he didn't have to say it twice.

Much to the surprise of the attacking General, his Captains and the hundred men they led from behind, the force in front of them had turned tail and was now fleeing from the scene as fast as their legs would carry them. Promises had been made to King Boron that this small band would be annihilated and the General was not yet ready to go back on his word and disappoint the new King, so he urged his men to run faster, all the while wishing he had brought a horse.

A few minutes' later Jorics men ran past the tree line and into the forest and the pursuers temporarily lost sight of the men they chased, as the road to Staggshund rose and dipped. What the General and his troops did not see was the fact that another group of Jorics men were waiting there, but they did not to attack either. The first soldiers ran off the road and hid in the undergrowth while the second group began running as fast as they could so as the Generals troops came over the rise, they were totally unaware that these were not the same men that they had begun chasing.

The second group found that they had to pace themselves a little, as the pursuers had begun to slow down and by the time Jorics men had rounded a distant corner and hid, the pursuers were even beginning to spread out along the road as the third group of runners took over. The third runners soon found that they only had to keep to a slow jog as the forces of Bolthorn were beginning to thin in their ranks. Not surprisingly, the General was the first man to give up the chase as he bent over with his hands on his knees gasping for breath while trying not to be physically sick.

The General puffed and panted for a short time until he was surprised to hear footsteps approaching from behind. He turned his head to see five men from 'group two' walking towards him with their swords drawn but he was just too exhausted to do anything about it.

"How did we do?" Godfred asked his brother as the King entered the farm house.

"Never mind that; what are you doing back in here when you should be out helping the soldiers?"

"I was hungry."

"So you thought you'd steal some food from the kitchen of the house this farmer kindly let us use; nice way for a Prince to act."

"I'll pay for it; so... how did we do?"

"Well actually we did better than expected."

"About time after that fiasco at Staggshund."

"Thank you so very much for reminding me" Joric sighed.

"You're very welcome; so who did you capture then?"

"The Dragon Riders have just dropped off all who were taken captive on the north and south roads so in total we now have six Captains, two Majors, an exhausted General, a Guard Captain and..."

"A partridge in a pear tree?"

"...Lord Tosh."

"Close enough."

King Joric spent the next forty five minutes talking to the officers and telling them what Tosh had done at Staggshund while the soldiers who were captured with them, were being given the option to join up with Joric, return to Bolthorn or go home. Many of the soldiers were simply annoyed that they had been captured by a much smaller force after being tricked into running for miles and miles in full battle gear, until they were too exhausted to fight; but most were just content to have all of their insides still inside of them.

"Let me see if I've got this straight" a captured Sergeant asked "We can leave and go home for a week while you all take the castle, or we can stay here, but we won't be forced to fight for King Joric. Finally we can choose to go back to Bolthorn and fight you lot again when you take the castle tonight; is that about right?"

"Well... mostly" said the Corporal who was trying to explain a complicated situation to the captured battalion. He was one of those who was captured at Staggshund and was well known to many of the troops sitting on the ground, surrounded by armed men who were once their allies.

"We're not going to take the castle because False King Boron and the Lords and Ladies of Bolthorn are all going to surrender."

"Oh really" the Sergeant pouted "and how are you going to get them to do that?"

"Don't underestimate the intelligence of King Joric. With three letters he had written, the bulk of the navy was turned and gave their allegiance to King Joric; and in two days the eight battalions in Bolthorn have been reduced to one. All this was done in less than a week with only one battle being fought; and of course that battle was thanks to an arrogant Lord, so don't you think for a minute that the true King can't do what he says."

"What about all this rubbish about King Joric commanding an army of dragons?"

"Yes Sergeant; that is a load of rubbish" the Corporal put two fingers to his lips and gave a loud whistle.

Odd and Windrunner strode out from behind a nearby farm shed and stopped behind the grinning Corporal as a few of the captives had a little accident in their trousers.

"The King does not command a dragon army, but they are his friends and allies."

Not surprisingly, none of the captured men decided to return to Bolthorn Castle.

_**What is it with Tigers? I was only trying to help the ungrateful idiots and one of them tries to bite my head off. I had to waste a valuable Gallium Grenade in order to stun them, just so I could escape over the back wall and I won't mention what happened next, but I will strongly suggest that everyone avoid the Sumatran Monkeys. Well I hope those Tigers don't think that they'll get any more help from me and my Neural Defelinator. I hate baths.**_

_**Moon the Mighty.**_


	44. Chapter 44

44 The Beginning Of The End

"I'm sorry Hiccup but we couldn't convince him to come back."

"Don't worry about it Fishlegs" Hiccup comforted his upset friend "we all know how stubborn Snotlout can be."

"I think it's more than stubbornness this time" Fishlegs pointed back over his shoulder.

Hiccup turned to see Tuffnut Thorston being helped to walk. He had a pronounced limp and a huge black eye.

"What the..."

"I know my brother can be annoying, but wow!" Ruffnut grinned "I wish I'd done it."

The commandeered farmhouse where King Joric and his people were preparing for the final push to Bolthorn was perfectly positioned for the rapidly growing force of men and dragons. Being only three miles from the edge of town meant that the dragon patrols could keep a close eye out if any move was made against them, although Joric was sure that nobody in the castle knew Joric was. Also the location in a small valley over half a mile off the road to Staggshund, kept them safe from being noticed by anyone passing through even though almost nobody had been seen on that road since the evacuation of Bolthorn Town.

More than half of the soldiers who had fought against King Joric at Staggshund had been convinced to come over to his side thanks mainly to the Kings address after the battle, along with the convincing talks some of them had with the townsfolk. Most of the men captured earlier that morning had simply taken up the offer to return to their home towns and villages as they were still unsure who to believe really was the King of Elydonia, but having them gone was much easier than having to guard them. The few who had joined up with Jorics forces had most commonly done so because they had known the men who captured them personally and trusted what they were told. Some though had joined up when they reached the first town on their journey home and found it to be true that the people there were behind Joric and not Boron. And so, safely hidden behind a thick line of trees, King Joric sat at the kitchen table inside the commandeered farm house.

"I don't know how you do it Stoick; I just can't keep track of everything that's going on out there."

"I trust my people" the Viking Chief replied "and you're going to have to learn to do the same. You can't keep overseeing everything like you would on your ship; we've talked about this before."

"And since then, everything has gotten even more complicated; I don't know how much longer I can go on with this."

"Remember Joric; it should all..." they were interrupted by a knock on the door "all be over by lunch time tomorrow; COME IN."

"More news Your Majesty" Sigfus announced.

"Oh great just what I need; I hope its good news" the King sighed.

"What's up with him?" Sigfus asked Stoick.

"Pressures of leadership; what's your news?"

"The ships that turned back from invading the western islands have all arrived at Horston Beach and the Captains are waiting to see you. Also Gil has managed to sneak out of Bolthorn Town and he says that things are slowly starting to fall apart for Boron."

"One minute it's 'Yes Your Majesty' and the next minute it's 'What's up with him?' I just can't keep up with it all" the King mumbled.

"He is in a bad way" Sigfus noted.

"I don't think he slept well last night" Stoick replied.

"And now they just talk about me, instead of to me."

"Cheer up King" Stoick slapped him on the back "I'll take you for a ride on me dragon to see your new ships; you'll like that, won't you?"

"I'm not a five year old you know."

"What on earth happened to Tuffnut?" Hiccup asked a little shocked.

"Snotlout happened to him" Ruffnut replied.

"Well I can see that, but what did you say to make him do... that?" Hiccup gestured to Tuffnut's face.

"I DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING TO HIM" Tuffnut protested.

"Well you did call him a coward" Fishlegs pointed out.

"What? Oh yeah... I did do that."

"And you said he was being a sissy for not wanting to storm the castle" Ruffnut grinned.

"YOU TOLD HIM WHAT?" Hiccup took a deep breath "We are NOT storming the castle; it will be a sneak attack."

"Salmon, Cod; its all fish to me" Tuffnut shrugged.

Hiccup looked to Fishlegs in bewilderment but his friend could only stare back in equal confusion as Stoick the Vast chose that time to wander over.

"What on earth has happened to Tuffnut" the Chief asked as he admired the bruised and puffy eye.

"It was Snotlout Dad."

"What did you say to him?" Stoick asked.

"WHY IS EVERYONE BLAMING ME?" Tuffnut asked exasperated.

"Come with me Fishlegs and show me where you found him" Hiccup climbed up on Toothless.

"LOOK... THERE... DID YOU SEE THEM?"

"What...those two birds in the field that just flew away?"

"Those birds weren't birds in the field I tell ya; those were dragons in the woods."

The soldier shook his head; how long were they going to have to put up with this from the Palace Guard.

"Not this again; you seriously expect me to believe that you and the other guards were attacked by a dragon?"

"Not a dragon mate, dragons plural; there was at least two of them and some guys said that they saw three or four when King Rekkur wanted those two boys executed."

"They were probably hunting birds."

"THAT BREATHED FIRE? That was some hunting bird; and they were riding on them."

"I'll believe it when I see it" the soldier was emphatic.

"No you won't because you just saw it and you still won't believe it."

"Hey Snotlout" Hiccup greeted his stressed out nemesis. (I promised Astrid I'd refer to him thus – _Marty_.)

"Oh no; not you too? It's no good Hiccup; I told Ruff and Tuff that I'm not coming back; not yet anyway."

"Yeah I'm not here to take you back; I'm here to apologise. I should never have sent Tuffnut because he doesn't understand."

"HOW CAN HE?" Snotlout turned away "He wasn't there."

"Yeah... sorry Snotlout. The other reason I came though was to let you know that I've told my Dad that when we're all finished here in Elydonia, that we'll all be going away for a while to relax, chat... whatever."

"Who is we?"

"You, me, Fishlegs, Astrid and the twins."

"Why does Tuffnut have to come?"

"I think he and Ruff need to try and understand and besides, Astrid may appreciate another girl to talk too."

Snotlout sighed "I've said it before and I'll say it again; I hate it when you're right. Come on then, let's go storm this castle."

"WE ARE NOT STORMING THE... wait a minute... I told you that I wasn't here to take you back."

"I know" Snotlout pulled himself up onto Hookfang "that's why I'm going with you."

Sigfus and Gil were very pleased to see Bloodstorm arrive back with Stoick and the King; they were both very keen to find out how the Fleet Commanders had reacted to their new orders while Sigrid, Odd and Freya came by to ask the Chief about their role in the evening's activities.

"The situation on board the fleet is very different from what we faced with the captives from Bolthorn" King Joric told his people.

"So we can count on them tonight?" Gil asked.

"Most certainly; the officers and crew have had a few days to become accustomed to the new situation and none of them were happy to hear that Boron had been promoted by Rekkurs old friends so the ships have set sail for Bolthorn with a skeleton crew and the marines have started the march south from Horston to shore up our numbers tonight; and they're ready to fight if the situation calls for it" the King informed them.

"Right then" Sigfus stood up to leave "I'll go and pass on the news to our forces here."

"Before you do" the familiar voice of Hiccup surprised them from a chair by the door "I would like to have a little chat with the King and the gang from Vesterham; we've got all afternoon to prepare."

"Is this about what the Dragon Riders are going to be doing tonight?" Joric asked when the Berkians had left.

"No" Hiccup replied to the four Elydonians "and you may think that I'm being rather trivial by bringing this up now, but soon enough you'll understand why; and how important it is for your future."

The men all looked at each other, wondering what Hiccup would say.

"None of you have said anything about it, but I assume you've noticed that some of the Dragon Riders are a little different from your soldiers, sailors and guards."

"You're all very different" Godfred smiled and the others all laughed.

"True, very true" Hiccup joined in "but I mean another kind of different; some of my Dads advisors, our head doctor, both of the Vikings who acted as my second in command during this mission."

"Err… well… we don't know what you're talking about or who your second in command is… or was" Sigfus pointed out."

"Well here's a clue to what I'm talking about" Hiccup told them all "When we were tailing Prince Nainn, Sigrid was my… I suppose you would say, First Officer; now that Chief Stoick is here, Astrid has filled that position."

"And that Olvor woman is your doctor; so I assume that you're pointing out the fact that we don't have any women with us" Joric got the hint "but do you really think this is the time to talk about our different social structures; we didn't pass any judgment on you."

"I can see that you're all a little annoyed but trust me; I'm only breaking the ice on the subject because the reality of it may hit you in the face very soon. So I thought I'd give you all a heads up so you could think about it for a while first."

"Think about what?" Gil asked suspiciously.

"Think about what you would do if a very capable woman wanted to join your team."

"Who; is it Sigrid?" Joric was trying not to sound too hopeful as he was rather taken by her.

"No but there is a good example for you; could you handle it if someone wise, strong and capable like Sigrid wanted to work with you rather than be a housewife or a shopkeeper."

"Well it's easy for us to think of someone like Sigrid being involved in our work because we've seen it; you and your father seem to rely on her and the other female Berkians just as much as you do the males. But the women here haven't had Sigrids experience" Godfred noted.

"Not a very convincing argument because just over a year ago, I had no experience with dragons and now they call me the Dragon Master; things that can be learnt and experienced, take many forms."

"I assume what you're hinting at, is that an Elydonian woman wants to join our raid tonight" Sigfus put forward.

"Once again no, but what if one did?" Hiccup posed the question.

"Well... we'd have to say no to her at this late stage; we wouldn't have time to train her" King Joric noted.

"You're assuming too much again" Hiccup replied "but think about it."

"Think about what exactly" Sigfus asked "you're being very vague."

"Sorry but hopefully I'll be able to tell you more soon." and with that thought bouncing around their heads, Hiccup left.

"How'd your little man to man talk go with the King and his elite?" Astrid asked as he walked away from the farmhouse.

"A bit confused; they first thought I was saying Sigrid wanted to join them."

"I bet that was Joric; he grew quite fond of her during our little sea voyage."

"I think you're right" Hiccup suddenly noticed that his fiancé had 'that smile' "Astrid; what are you scheming?"

"Oh... nothing" she lied.

**Some people take to galactic travel quite well while others find it tedious and lonely. So having a cat for company during the long journey helps to make it more fun – but take my advice; never make use of a**__**Neural Defelinator to make your cat easier to talk to for there is nothing more deadly than an intelligent puddy tat. What I'm trying to say is... well... Moon's escaped.**


	45. Chapter 45

45 We Two Kings

With no flourish or fanfare whatsoever, an excitable member of the Palace Guard burst into the Royal Dining Room.

"My Lords, Dame Incontinentia; there's trouble in the harbour."

"What kind of trouble?" the pear shaped Lord asked as if he had just been told that there would be no gravy with his roast beef.

"I don't know; the King commanded that I come and tell you there was trouble in the harbour. I didn't expect a..."

"Yes yes, alright, now go away and find out what kind of trouble there is."

"Yes my Lord."

The guard turned to leave and almost fell over another one of his colleagues entering the room.

"My Lords; there is an army taking up position east of the town."

"Is there... err... any chance that it might be the return of the battalions that left in pursuit of the last army to march on Bolthorn?" the round fat Lord asked hopefully.

"Ah... well... maybe sir... but they do carry the banner of King Joric sir."

"BORON IS KING" Dame Incontinentia slammed her hand on the table "NOT THAT UPSTART JORIC."

"Sorry Ma-am; I meant the old King Joric."

"Leave; Now."

"Yes Ma-am" and he turned to follow the last guard.

"What should we do?" a very nervous Duke panicked "we're down to one battalion and the Palace Guards; that's less than a hundred and fifty men."

"But we're inside the castle" the fat Lord grinned and it would take a lot of effort for them to get in here. Our forces will just thin them out as they approach the walls and destroy them when they reach here; they'll soon turn tail as they always have."

"But what if... the dragons..."

Dame Incontinentia struck the table again "I DO NOT WANT TO HEAR ANY MORE ABOUT IT. Those beasts have not been seen in Bolthorn since the night they helped the traitor Joric to escape and it was only because that boy was with him; they have obviously all gone home to the northwest islands or they would have attacked the castle before now."

"Yes that's right" the pear shaped Lord pointed out "Joric said that if we acted rashly, then Bolthorn would fall that very night; and it didn't so we did the right thing in driving those foreigners away."

"If you say so" the nervous Duke conceded.

Silence hung over the evening meal like a shroud until the Duke could stand it no longer.

"Err... are you ah... going to spend the rest of the summer here Dame Incontinentia or in your southern villa?" he tried to make conversation.

"Do you expect me to travel on Elydonian roads while this ill fated revolution is going on?" she accused "Are you Trying To GET RID OF ME?"

"Oh... ah no Dame Incontinentia I was... just...um...sorry" he decided the shroud of silence was not so bad after all.

Out on the western rampart King Boron watched with trepidation as nine ships of the Royal Bolthorn Navy sat at anchor offshore. All flew the blue flag of King Joric and none were making for port.

"What are they waiting for?" Boron asked the guardsmen on the wall with him.

"They could be awaiting reinforcement's sir... or perhaps... nightfall?"

"Were you men here when Rekkur was taken? Did you see it?"

"We... err... have been forbidden to talk about it sir" one said.

Boron had the feeling some of the men had some very interesting things to say, but did not want to risk the wrath of those currently dining across the castle yard inside the palatial rooms. It should not be so hard for a King to get information out of the men he commanded but Boron new, just as the guards did, that he was no more than a puppet for those with the true power to control. That was why he had decided to spend as much time as he could with the guards and soldiers; they were less likely to put a knife in his back unless ordered and he normally obtained far more information than he ever did from Dame Incontinentia and the Lords of Bolthorn. He was about to try another way to get the men to talk when the guard he sent to the dining room returned.

"Well... what did they say?" the puppet King asked the guard.

"I'm sorry sir but they ah... sent me back to ask what kind of trouble there was."

"They don't even trust me to know when we have a problem" the King shook his head forlornly.

"And sir... if you will excuse the liberty... a guard from the eastern rampart reported that an army has taken up position outside of town and they are flying the flag of the old king."

"King Rekkur is back?" Boron asked bewildered.

"Err no sir the other old king; Joric sir."

"So we're surrounded; did you hear what they plan to do about it?"

"Well... I don't mean any disrespect to the Lords and Ladies sir..."

"It's alright man you can trust in my discretion."

"They plan to finish dinner and expect us to hold the enemy off from within the castle."

Boron looked around at the men with him and knew that they were more worried about speaking out of turn, than they were about the forces gathering outside the castle walls.

"Tell me then... hypothetically... how long do you think we could hold off if they attacked?"

"Oh...well... with the animals and grain stores um... a few months maybe? Unless they come up with some siege engines or..."

"Or have some dragons maybe?" the King offered.

"We're not supposed to talk about them sir" the guard whispered.

As the sun set once more on Elydonia, it also set on the extremely short reign of King Boron the First. Neither King Joric nor the Court of Bolthorn were currently aware of that fact, but there were a few things the former monarch was fully aware of. One was the storm drain system that had once aided Sigrid and Astrid in their escape, and the other was the high possibility that he may not survive the night if he stayed in Bolthorn Castle and it wasn't just the army on the outside that bothered him. Fortunately for Boron, some of the homes in the almost deserted streets of the town were very easy to break into so it wasn't long at all before he was totally unrecognisable as the King he once was. Soon after, a very common looking man presented himself without flourish or fanfare to the armed forces half a mile from the town.

"I need to see King Joric... please" he politely demanded.

While he waited to be escorted to the King, Boron witnessed the start of the operation to take the castle, although he found it rather confusing. Two hundred men or more moved forward a few hundred yards to be well and truly within earshot of the castle walls, where they proceeded to chant. For one minute they would shout the name JORIC and then bang their swords against their shields so that those defending the eastern wall were soon in no doubt as to whose forces stood before them.

"JORIC" bang "JORIC" bang "JORIC" bang "JORIC" bang; until they all fell silent one minute later and just stood there with torches burning in the night.

Dressed in his stolen clothes, hood pulled over his head, Boron and his escort strode into the staging area another mile back from the troops. It was here the frightened man realised he'd made the right decision to flee the castle, as he was presented to King Joric in the middle of a large wyre of dragons and riders.

"This is the man who surrendered to us" the escort informed the King as he handed over a small dagger "he was armed only with… this."

"Thank you; you may return to your outfit."

The escort saluted and left as the King turned to the man before him.

"Now then; why did you need to see me so urgently? We're rather busy at the moment."

As the man removed his hood and looked up, Joric could not have been more surprised if it he had found himself standing in front of his own mother.

"Hi" Boron smiled and waved.

"What in the name of…" Joric began "Stoick; I'd like you to meet someone."

The Viking Chief left his dragon and approached the two men.

"Stoick the Vast: Chief of the Dragon Riders, this is… King Boron."

"You're kidding" Stoick declared.

"How do you do sir" Boron offered his hand.

"Well cut my beard off and call me Shirley; I'd hoped to meet you tonight but… I wasn't expecting it to be so soon… or so pleasant."

Hiccup and Astrid were sent out to collect Sigfus and Godfred as quickly as possible, so the defecting King could undergo a rapid debriefing before the Dragon Riders made their next move.

"Oh my goodness; how did you capture him so quickly?" Sigfus asked.

"We didn't capture him; he surrendered" Joric revealed still surprised himself.

"I remember you two" Boron looked at Hiccup and then Astrid "you were with Joric in the throne room and you blew the north wall into dust."

"I'm glad you have such a high opinion of my abilities but it was my dragon Stormfly who did the demolition job on your wall and I don't remember seeing you in the Throne Room" Astrid admitted.

"Oh I was there" Boron reassured her "in the back, keeping out of sight."

"So what happened after we retreated" Hiccup asked "and why are you here now?"

"Well… as you could imagine, when you all strode in and revealed that Rekkur was alive but not in Bolthorn, I thought the young man…"

"Hiccup" Astrid informed Boron.

"Really? Hmm… okay; I thought Hiccup was correct about King Joric's grandson being the next rightful King, but it only took a few seconds before I realised it was not going to happen that night. After you all were driven from the castle, two Lords and a Duke declared themselves as the best candidates to take over as the next King."

"Was Tosh one of them?" Godfred asked.

"You bet your left leg he was… oh… sorry. Before any arguments could be made as to who would be chosen ruler, Dame Incontinentia demanded attention and gave this long talk about the need for someone sensible and noble; someone who would make peace with the foreigners and not act like Rekkur did. And then she nominates me; you could have knocked me over with a feather."

"So you didn't want to be King then" Stoick assumed.

"It was not that I didn't want to be King, but I didn't ever dream it would happen until the Dames friends began telling me how good I would be… and I fell for it."

"So it wasn't what you expected?" Hiccup knew that feeling about leadership, but at the same time he had another feeling that Boron had it worse than he did.

"Everyone else made all the decisions and then would give orders like 'The King says this' and 'Boron orders that' and most of the time I had to find out what I'd ordered from the guards afterwards."

"So you didn't send Lord Tosh out with four hundred men to subdue the land?" Sigfus accused.

"I was still loitering in the throne room back then, but all the discussions and decisions were made without any input from me and soon after, I just left them all to it and started getting my information from the barracks."

"Do the guards listen to your orders at all?" Joric asked as Hiccup and Stoick smiled at each other; a new idea was forming.

"Well... yes... as long as I don't try to countermand the senior courtiers."

"Good; Hiccup and Astrid will now show you how to behave when riding a dragon" Joric grinned.

"Ride a... what?" Boron gasped.

_**Oct. 31**__**st**__** 2014 - Something strange is going on at Marty's home. He thinks that I am long gone but I am watching and waiting from my hiding places. Every night he brings out an offering of minced tuna in the hope that I will return but I have seen that he carries an Ion Phase Ribbon behind his back (as if I would come within twenty feet of him while so armed). Anyway, back to the strange happenings; children have been coming to his door dressed as ghouls and monsters and Marty has been giving them chocolate, candy and other treats – it's obvious what is happening here: HE HAS HIRED THESE ODDLY DRESSED MERCENARIES TO HUNT ME DOWN!**_

_**I must take care.**_


	46. Chapter 46

46 Is This A Dragon That I See Before Me?

"My Lords, Dame Incontinentia" the messenger cried out as he knocked at the library door and was bid to enter.

"You have news of the missing King?" the Dame enquired.

"I'm sorry Ma-am but King Boron still has not been found; I bring news from the east wall."

"Have Joric begun to attack?" the nervous Duke asked nervously.

"We believe an attack is imminent sir; their forces have begun to spread out; we can see the torches half way around the castle just out of arrow range."

"Well tell the troops to be ready and to stay alert and place guards on all the doors in the palace rooms" the pear shaped Lord ordered.

"Just as well we didn't allow Lord Tosh to become King; it looks like his mission has failed" the fat Lord noted "but that rebel scum will never get inside the castle."

High above the castle, hidden by the darkness, the Dragon Riders of Berk circled overhead with their Elydonian passengers watching the proceedings unfold below. The guards on the walls kept their weapons ready as they watched the flaming torches down on the ground fanning out in a wide semi-circle almost surrounding the entire town, while being totally unaware of the winged beasts above them.

"Why are they spreading themselves so thin?" one of guards asked his companions.

"It's a mystery to me" one replied "they're only making it easier for us when they attack; we'll be able to pick them off as soon as they get near the castle with no one to give them cover fire."

"I wish they'd hurry up; it's the waiting that's killing me" a third admitted what the others were thinking.

The nervous wait for the guards on the east wall was nowhere near coming to an end just, as it was for the guards on the western wall who were keeping an equally close eye on the ships in the harbour. Since those ships too were flying the blue flag of King Joric, the guards and soldiers had been ordered to fire on them as soon as they came into range, but the ships spent most of their time sitting far off at anchor. None of the guards dare to take their eyes off the ships for one second as on occasion, one would raise its anchor move slowly across the harbour and then suddenly drop anchor again still out of range.

"What are they doing?" the frustrated guards asked each other with no reply forthcoming.

Stoick took in the scene below and decided that enough attention had been diverted to outside the walls for the operation to begin. What they were about to attempt was a bold plan, but the enemy greatly overestimated its power so Stoick knew he and his allies had a better than even chance of success, ending the threat of war between the Vikings and the Elydonians once and for all.

"Alright son" Stoick gave the okay "quick and quiet."

"Quick and quiet Dad" he grinned in reply "Let's go bud."

On the southwest corner of the Palatial Rooms, rose the main watchtower where two of the palace guards kept an eye on every direction, watching out for anything that the soldiers on the walls may have missed. Hiccup had hoped that these two might both be watching from the same side of the tower but found that he was out of luck as one kept an eye on the ships while the other scanned the army on the eastern side.

"Get ready to jump" Hiccup ordered Boron as he locked off Toothless' tail.

The invisible black shadow of the Night Fury passed over the first watchman's head in almost complete silence as the rider and passenger dropped down right on top of him. The sound of the ensuing scuffle drew the attention of the second man but before he could even begin to move toward the warning bell, Toothless knocked him flat on his back and stood on the poor man's chest growling softly but menacingly. With the first man bound and gagged Hiccup rushed over and made quick work of the second one before giving Toothless the okay to signal the others. Astrid and Joric began their decent; they landed softly on top of the tower followed closely by Snotlout and Fishlegs carrying Sigfus and Gil dressed as Boron's guards.

Stormfly; stay" Astrid whispered to her dragon as she remover the lengths of rope from her saddle bag.

"Good luck" Snotlout wished them all as he, Fishlegs and King Joric settled the dragons down on the roof to await the next time they would be needed.

Hiccup threw open the tower trapdoor to reveal the internal steps leading down to the Palace Rooms. Boron and his new guards moved to the front and proceeded downstairs in a casual manner. Astrid followed in the shadows as Toothless slithered down through the trapdoor with Hiccup, ready to provide some heavy firepower if their plans went wrong. The steps wound down all the way to the ground but Boron stopped at a heavy door that opened onto the top floor of the Palace. He checked behind himself to see if all those behind him were ready and opened the door. The two guards who stood in the passage nearby turned to face the door as it opened and were surprised to see King Boron walk through.

"Your Majesty" the first declared "we've been searching for you everywhere."

"Yes… err… I've been moving about the castle for quite a long time just trying to keep up with what is going on outside. What are your current orders?"

"To patrol these corridors and defend against any incursion sir."

"Good" the former King replied "how many men are on this level?"

"Two others on patrol and two guards on each door to your Royal Rooms" the guard replied.

"Right then; I have just come from the watch tower and the forces out to the east are on the move so we need to shore up the lower levels against an incursion. I want you to find the other patrols on all levels and move them all down to the palace entrances from the courtyard and stand ready there."

"But sir, what about the palace itself?"

"Leave the palace rooms to those guarding the doors; you men go and make sure that no one gets in from the ground floor."

"Yes Your Majesty" they saluted and hurried off.

Sigfus leaned over and whispered to Boron "Well done; that should make our task a little easier."

Gil went back to the watchtower door and poked his head inside to give Hiccup and Toothless the all clear to enter the hallway.

"What happened to the girl, Astrid?" Boron asked.

"Over there" Hiccup pointed to the corner at the end of the corridor that the guards had just disappeared around.

"It's okay" she smiled at them "the other two guards have left with the ones you sent."

"How did she…" Boron looked at the door behind him and then to Astrid in front "how did you..?"

"Don't worry" Hiccup reassured him "it's what she does."

"Oh my but she's good" Boron was impressed.

"Don't I know it" Hiccup grinned.

Astrid waved them over to the corner and pointed out the men standing guard in front of a large door.

"That's the door to my rooms; wait here" Boron told Hiccup and Astrid as he led Sigfus and Gil over to the guards.

"Why are you men guarding my rooms when there is nobody in them? Get down to the courtyard and defend the palace."

"Yes Your Majesty" they replied and hurried off toward the stairs.

"WAIT" Boron called out "where will I fine Dame Incontinentia and the other Lords?"

"Err… those who are not dining or in their private rooms, are in the library Your Majesty" they replied.

"Very good; on your way then" Boron commanded and they both rushed off again.

The all clear was given for the dragon and riders to join the Elydonians once more as Boron told them the good news.

"The library was part of the Kings rooms until Dame Incontinentia and the Lords decided it was the best place for them to tell me what orders to give before anyone else had a chance to inform me of anything that they didn't want me to know, so the people with all the power should be there. I'll take my 'guards' to the main door while Hiccup and Astrid take the dragon into my rooms. You'll find the internal door to the library opposite my bedroom."

"Wait" Sigfus stopped them "Astrid; get back to the roof and signal Stoick to send down the rest of the Elydonians; we should have everything ready by the time you get back."

"I'm on it" Astrid replied and literally disappeared into the shadows as Hiccup and Toothless slipped inside the Kings rooms.

"Wow, this place is huge" Hiccup whispered to his dragon as they entered a reception room bigger than the Chiefs whole house.

Four waiting rooms led off to the sides with large ornate double doors standing at the end through which Hiccup found another house sized room lavishly decorated just like the one he had just left, with fine furniture and artworks.

"Keep an eye on your tail Bud; we don't want it to knock anything over and alert anyone."

"Urrumph" Toothless looked back at his tail and rolled his eyes; he didn't like Hiccup speaking to him as if he were as clumsy as a Monstrous Nightmare.

Two more sets of double doors led off this room with the Kings bedroom being on the left. Listening at the doors on the right, Hiccup could hear people talking and so he waited there, knowing that he had at last found the sought after library.

In the hallway outside the library, the two guards posted were mildly surprised to see the missing King suddenly appear from around the corner with his escort.

"I want you two men to take over here" Boron addressed Sigfus and Gil before turning to the men at the library door "and you two can head down to the courtyard."

"I'm sorry Your Majesty but we've given firm orders not to leave here and not to let anyone into the library apart from yourself" the first guard informed the King.

"Does that include my own men?"

"With respect, yes it does sir" the guard replied.

"Very well" Boron turned back to Sigfus "I'm going to inform the Dame and Lords of the latest news. You two wait here for reinforcements and then... you know what to do."

"Yes Your Majesty" Sigfus and Gil saluted and took their positions near the other guards as Boron entered the library.

"Good evening everyone" Boron smiled cheerfully as he entered and closed the door "I hope I find you all well."

"King Boron" the fat Lord exclaimed "perhaps you would like to explain to us where you have been since this afternoon; nobody seems to have seen you anywhere for hours."

"Oh I've been all over place keeping track of what's been going on outside of Bolthorn and making sure that everything goes as it should."

"And is it?" the Dame asked suspiciously.

"Most certainly" the King replied as he moved to warm himself by the fireplace "those trying to take power in Bolthorn are moving rapidly towards their inevitable defeat and there is no doubt that the forces of Elydonia will be triumphant very soon; Lord Tosh's forces are even returning to the castle as we speak."

"Excellent news" the nervous Duke sighed with relief.

"Yes... yes it is" Boron smiled to himself as everything he had just said was perfectly true, but he also knew that everyone else in the room would soon wish that it wasn't.

"It sounds like Boron's got them all placated Toothless" Hiccup mumbled "I just wish Astrid would hurry up and get back."

"Why; did you miss me?"

"Astrid; how long have you been here?"

"Not long Babe; I've been having a quick look around... this place is incredible."

"You're not kidding; did you see the bedroom?" Hiccup asked "it's reminds me of the Great Hall on Berk."

"And the furniture; can we have a place like this when we're married?"

"What? No we can't" Hiccup answered in surprise.

"Oh you never give me anything nice" Astrid pouted.

"I gave you your dragon."

"Yes you did" she kissed his cheek "and I'll never forget it."

"But you just... oh you're playing with me again aren't you?"

"You make it so easy sometimes" Astrid grinned.

"She's right you know; you fall for her little tricks far too easily" Joric noted.

"You're here too?" Hiccup jumped "is there anyone else back there?"

"Just the twins" Astrid informed him.

"WHAT?"

"Gotcha."

**I could see Moon was watching me as children came 'Trick or Treating' a few nights ago and he did not seem happy. He eats the food I put out for him, but he flatly refuses to come anywhere me and I'm not exactly sure why. Although I sometimes think I should buy myself a new belt to hold my pants up, as the red one I've been using looks a little bit like an Ion Phase Ribbon and they have always freaked Moon out ever since I used one to get him to the vet for his shots a few years ago, or as he calls it 'The Day of the Needle Torture'. I don't think he has ever truly forgiven me, but a least he has never gotten Cat Flu.**


	47. Chapter 47

47 Alas Poor Joric; I Knew Him Godfred

After Astrid had briefly returned to the watchtower and given Fishlegs the all clear, the young man and his Gronckle lifted off and flew straight up to meet Chief Stoick and the other dragon riders as they circled silently in the darkness high above the castle.

"All clear Chief" Fishlegs called out as he buzzed passed.

Soon a steady stream of dragons were gliding down to the watchtower, dropping off their Elydonian passengers and rising up again away from the castle. When the drop off was complete, the dragons flew out to continue circling out beyond the castle walls while awaiting the next signal. All except for the Gronckles and their riders, who remained behind because they could just squeeze through the trapdoor Snotlout was lifting.

"Astrid said to make for the library door where Sigfus will give you further orders" Snotlout told them all as they passed.

"Which one's Sigfus?" a voice in the dark asked.

"The one who'll give you orders" Snotlout barked at the poor man "Now get down there."

Soon the rest of the Elydonian guards loyal to King Joric were moving downstairs and sneaking through the empty corridors adjacent to the Kings Rooms while over at the library door, one of the two remaining genuine guards looked over at Gil.

"I don't remember seeing you two around here before."

"Special detachment from the east border" Gil replied.

"Really? I was attached to that regiment until recently and I still don't remember you."

"Sorry I meant the southern border" Gil tried again.

"But that's where I was from" the second revealed as he eyed Gil suspiciously.

Jorics men from the watchtower soon rounded the corner, only to find Sigfus and Gil in a scuffle with library door guards; so they rushed over to the fray and soon had both men captured and bound.

"That was a boring conversation anyhow" Gil muttered to the captives as Sigfus gave the new arrivals their orders.

"We've gotten all of the castle guards off this floor so spread out and cover the stairs on both ends of the hall and down the main passage to the guest's quarters downstairs and hold them till the Gronckles are in place and while your all doing that... I think I'll go and have a word with the former King and his friends."

Sigfus composed himself after his minor battle with the two surprised guards and opened the door to the library.

"Everyones is place Boron; time to tell our noble leaders the bad news" Sigfus announced as he entered.

All those present sprang to their feet at the sudden incursion except Dame Incontinentia who merely raised her eyebrows and demanded to know the name of the man who had so rudely disturbed them.

"Ah... yes" Boron began "you may remember I've just informed you all about Lord Tosh's forces returning to the castle, but what I neglected to mention was that... Tosh isn't in command of them anymore and they are now acting under the leadership of King Joric the Fifth; isn't that lovely... hmmm?"

"What on earth have you done?" the pear shaped Lord asked in disgust "GUARDS; GET IN HERE!"

The door to the hallway opened up again and Gil entered "No need to shout; I was eavesdropping anyway."

"You... you're not one of the guards we left outside."

"Ah... so... the reality hasn't hit them yet" Gil noted.

"I think it may be starting to" Boron grinned as Joric slipped into the room from the other end while everyones attention was on Gil.

"I think it would be a good idea if you all faced up to your ignorance and listened to what has actually been going on in Elydonia" Sigfus told the angry group "and I can't think of anyone better to do that, than the King himself."

"Oh not me" Boron declared as all eyes turned to the fireplace "that King over there."

"Good evening" Joric smiled smugly "well, your arrogance and lust for absolute power has come back to bite you on the..."

"Well really!" Dame Incontinentia declared.

"But how?" the fat Lord asked in puzzlement.

"Simple" Joric tried to be brief "when you tried to kill my companions and I on the night Rekkur disappeared, I took a very different tack that you could not perceive of. My allies from Berk flew my men out to every town, village and border fort in Elydonia on their dragons. So before you had even decided on using Boron as a puppet King, I was well on my way to having the entire country behind me and of course you had no way of contacting the ships Nainn had sailed to invade the land of the Dragon Riders, but we did and so it was not long before we also had the entire navy onside."

"But why did you betray us?" the fat Lord demanded of Boron "We made you King for heaven's sake."

"I'm not the fool you thought me to be; you were all blind to what was going on outside the castle, even when I tried to warn you and I'm sure that each of you had your own plans to kill me and take over when you felt the time was right."

"IT WASN'T MY IDEA" the nervous Duke suddenly declared "it was Dame Incontinentia; she wanted to be Empress of a new Elydonian Empire when Nainn returned with the northwest islands conquered."

"Ah... Chief Stoick knew he couldn't trust you four to leave him and his people alone" Joric declared "that's why he has given me so much help."

"I thought I TOLD you to keep your mouth shut" the Dame hissed at the Duke.

"She was going to have Boron poisoned... and plant evidence that would incriminate you two" he nodded to the fat and pear shaped Lords.

"Why you evil double crossing..." the fat Lord sneered at the Dame.

"Oh please" she replied sarcastically "as if you two didn't have plans of your own."

"ALRIGHT; THAT'S ENOUGH" Joric shouted "you'll just have to accept the fact that you have lost and it's all over. Lord Tosh could not accept it and over a hundred people had to die to prove him wrong; so I hope that you four are not going to be as stupid."

"Do you seriously expect that we will simply surrender to you?" the fat Lord asked smugly

"Do you seriously think that I won't take revenge for the people who have already died and just plunge my sword into your chest if you push me too far?" King Joric replied.

"Alright then, tell me; why are we still alive?"

"I am letting you live so that you can order your guards and soldiers to stand down and return to their barracks."

"So you can take over without a fight and then kill us too; just as you did to Rekkur" Dame Incontinentia accused.

"We keep telling you Rekkur's alive, Nainn is alive, even Tosh still lives. If you cooperate with me, the only things you will lose are title and privilege." Joric stated "So think about it but think quickly because I'm not going to just hang around here and risk more Elydonian lives."

Without even waiting for them to say anything else, Joric returned to the doors to the king's private rooms and pulled them open to reveal the two Dragon Riders and their Night Fury.

"Hi there" Hiccup wave as he entered the room "remember me? I'm the guy that offered you a way out of the predicament you are now in."

"Everything is secured here if you want to join the others out in the hall" King Joric informed Hiccup and Astrid who then led a growling Toothless straight through the middle of the room and out the hallway door followed by Sigfus and Boron.

"It is truly amazing how stubborn those people really are" Astrid noted as they closed the door behind them.

"They are just too accustomed to getting their own way... far too easily" Sigfus pointed out.

Out in the hallway, Fishlegs and Meatlug waited with the guards who had recently arrived by dragon. Sigfus sent another five guards into the library to help King Joric and Gil keep Dame Incontinentia, the Lords and the Duke in line while he took Boron and eight others with him to carry out the next phase.

"Are you and Meatlug okay staying here with a few Jorics men to hold this floor Fishlegs?" Hiccup asked his friend.

"Oh sure; we've got more guards and other Gronckles at every entrance to this floor so nobody will get up here without a fight" Fishlegs stated with nervous confidence.

"Great; we'll be back as soon as we've got the rest of the Elydonian Gentry" Hiccup smiled and hurried off to catch up with Sigfus and Boron waiting near the end of the long hallway. They stood at the top of a staircase leading down to a mezzanine between the floor with the Kings rooms and the floor with all the guests rooms.

"You'd better stay here with your dragon" Sigfus advised "where's Astrid?"

"I dunno" he replied "out there somewhere being Astrid; she'll turn up as soon as she's done scouting about."

Sigfus lined up Jorics men in an official manner on either side of the hallway while Hiccup and Toothless found a convenient alcove containing a bust of King Rekkur. Hiccup move the bust and its plinth from their central position to the rear of the alcove and drew the curtains around it to hide himself and Toothless as Boron descended the staircase and addressed the four guards on the floor below.

"Dame Incontinentia and I hereby order all the Courtiers of Bolthorn to join us in the library at once; we need to discuss the current situation."

"Yes Your Highness" they saluted.

Two of the men stayed at their posts while the other two ran off to execute their orders and soon the lesser Lords, Ladies and those with other titles, were reluctantly making their way up the stairs as requested. Some had signs of food on their faces and others were dressed in their nightclothes and robes, but all were grumbling as Boron led them one by one towards the library. As soon as they rounded the last corner and saw a Gronckle smiling at them, it became very clear they had been trapped and were all soon captive with their legs tied in a very comfortable prison with a warm fire, plush leather high back chairs and more reading material than they would ever need – the only down side was the company as they mostly hated each other.

"...eleven, twelve... there's two missing" Sigfus noted as Gil finished tying up the legs of the last one.

"I'll go and find out where they are" Boron opened the library door and left as a cacophony of complaint bounced around the room until Joric couldn't stand it anymore.

"WILL YOU ALL JUST SHUT UP" he shouted.

"You have no right to do this to us" a minor Baron declared "most of us had nothing to do with the attempt on your life or the ascension of King Boron."

"No, but anyone of you could give the game away before I'm done here so pull your heads in and be thankful that you're in the library and not in the dungeon... yet" Joric sneered at them.

Over in the alcove near the top of the staircase, Toothless was beginning to get restless.

"Yeah I'm sorry bud" Hiccup tried to settle his dragon "but it shouldn't take much longer... humph... it better not take much longer."

"Do you know how attractive you look when you're angry, frustrated and ready to fight?"

"Astrid, you're back; have you got anyone with you this time?"

"Nope just me, but I've been all the way down to the courtyard and I can tell you this; all the castle guards down there is wound up so tight, I'm surprised they haven't thrown open the castle gates and rushed off screaming into battle. They look sort of like you do now, but not as sexy; grrrowell."

"What is up with you tonight?"

"It's a coping method; plus I just love watching your face turn bright pink. I'm off to tell Joric what I've seen downstairs because I'm sure if he can't get Dame WhatsHerFace to play nice very very soon, then all hell is going to break loose down there; so good luck..." she gave him a quick kiss "...and don't die or I'll never speak to you again."

And with that, she was gone.

"Yeah I know Toothless, I know" Hiccup told his bewildered dragon "believe me though she's worth it, but what's a coping method?"

**The funniest thing happened yesterday; I tried to placate Moon with a double helping of food, as well as throwing my red belt outside so he could see that it was harmless. But he pounced on it, picked it up and brandished it like a weapon while shouting "AH-HA!" before he realised what he had was not an Ion Phase Ribbon, but a gaudy fashion accessory; silly kitty.**


	48. Chapter 48

48 All Hell Breaks Loose

With Toothless and Hiccup still hidden in the small alcove behind a curtain, Boron made his way past King Joric's men at the top of the staircase to see what had become of the last two missing noblemen of Elydonia. It was from there that he first heard the arguing.

"I am not going up there without my bodyguards" the first one demanded "I don't trust the Dame and her puppet king."

"Yes well, we don't trust you either" Boron replied as he descended the stairs "but you may take two of your bodyguards if it will shut you up."

"Humph; the King has developed some courage at last" the first sneered.

"Well I don't trust you as well" the second accused the first "so if you're taking two bodyguards, then so am I."

"Alright then but hurry up; everyone's waiting for you and they're all tied up while you two fuss like schoolboys."

"You had better watch your attitude Your Majesty before some horrid accident befalls you" the first threatened.

Boron marched behind the two grumbling men along the hall to the Kings rooms with a broad smile on his face as he was so looking forward to seeing the looks on their faces when they rounded the corner ahead only to find Joric's men, a few Vikings and a Gronckle waiting for them. He began to wonder how they would react because all the others had been all very different and quite unpredictable. Their reactions ranged from flight, fear and fainting, to battle and bribery but unfortunately he never got to find out for as they reached the halfway point of the hallway, Meatlug sneezed.

"What the hell… IT'S A TRAP!"

That was all Hiccup and Toothless needed to hear; Joric had managed to take out most of the gentry without much trouble, but these last two and their bodyguards were definitely going to be a problem.

"Come on Toothless; let's get out there" Hiccup cried as he leapt into the saddle.

The six men had all drawn their weapons and were preparing to rush back at Joric's guards at the top of the stairs, but they were not expecting the large black dragon that came charging out from behind the curtain. Hiccup made the most of his surprise advantage and used the Night Furies size and speed to knock all six men over and with a few sweeps of his long tail. Toothless soon had them all disarmed and trapped between the top of the stairs and the outside of the Kings rooms, but it was too late to stop news from getting out about the invasion of the castle. Several castle guards had heard the nobleman shout out about the trap and had rushed upstairs only to witness the scuffle and see the dragon. Rather than stay and fight, they had all run off to raise the alarm.

"FISHLEGS" Hiccup called out "TELL SNOTLOUT; PLAN B."

"Well that should make him happy" Fishlegs mumbled to himself as he and Meatlug ran back to the watchtower stairs.

Hiccup and Toothless rushed to the end of the hallway where the dragon spread his wings and glided down to the floor below while knocking over most of the fleeing guards with his back legs as they ran down the main staircase. One detail Hiccup did not know, was the floor they had flown down to had two passages; one leading to the east wing and the other leading to the west wing and these two passages led to the guests rooms where the Courtiers of Bolthorn resided and at each door stood two guards. All of these guards stood and stared straight at Toothless.

"Ohhhh crap" Hiccup declared to himself.

As quickly as he could manage, Hiccup looked all around and took in his new surroundings. The east and west passages appeared to be dead ends but there must be servant's stairs he thought. On either side of him, the main staircase became two and hugged the walls to the next level down.

"Alright then" Hiccup made his decision and turned Toothless into position for a single plasma blast down the east corridor. The plaster covered wall at the end of the passage exploded in a cloud of dust and debris.

Upstairs the library door flew open and one of Joric's men rushed in.

"Message from the Dragon Riders sir; Plan B."

"Right" Joric glared at Dame Incontinentia "time is most defiantly up so here's what you're going to do; I am going to take you downstairs where you will call for your commanders and then you will order them all to stand down and return the men to their barracks."

"Or what?" the Dame replied.

"OR WHAT? ARE YOU CRAZY?" Joric shouted "THERE'LL BE A HUGE BATTLE AND PEOPLE WILL DIE; THAT'S WHAT!"

"And what are you prepared to do in order to prevent this… battle."

Joric stared at her dumbfounded.

"What on earth are you talking about? You've lost; as in, you can't win."

"Then why should I tell my commanders to stand down?" the Dame appeared to be gloating.

Joric turned to the former King and asked in desperation "Boron; will the Commanders listen to you?"

"I doubt it; you may have noticed that even the guards have no problem telling me what I can and can't do so the Commanders will defiantly question me if I countermand the orders of these four."

Joric turned back to the smug smiling Dame in absolute frustration.

"If you don't call off your forces, then most of them will die. Is that what you want?"

"Of course not" she replied uncaringly "but how far are you willing to go to prevent their deaths? Will you agree to… an arrangement with us?"

"I don't believe this" Astrid threw up her hands "are you so cruel that you would gladly bargain with the lives of your own men for power; just to get your own way?"

"I would not expect a barbarian child to have any understanding of Nobility and Politics, so why don't you just keep quiet and let the adults talk?" Dame Incontinentia declared and sealed her own fate.

"Right, that does it" Astrid drew her knife and strode over to the wide eyed Dame.

"Wha… what… what are you… What Is SHE DOING? SOMEBODY STOP HER!"

With a single precise and rapid movement, Astrid slit the rope that bound the Dames ankles and lifted the woman to her feet.

"You and you" Astrid pointed to two of Joric's men "take Dame Pruneface here up to the top of the watchtower."

The guards looked to the King for confirmation of the order, but he was having a lot of trouble trying to stop himself from laughing at what Astrid had just said.

"Well you heard the young lady" he eventually managed to say "take Pruneface to the watchtower."

The two guards snickered as they led the disgusted woman from the room followed by Astrid and the King.

"Man oh man it's dull up here" Snotlout remarked to the bound and gagged watchtower guards "I mean no offence, but you guys are just… well… boring."

Both the men wriggled in their bonds and moaned angrily.

"Yeah I know; the ropes and all, but you could at least hum a little tune for me and it may even relax the dragons; they look a little tense if you ask me" he gestured to the sleeping, almost catatonic dragons.

Snotlout jumped with surprise when the trapdoor flew open without warning and Fishlegs' head popped up.

"Hey Snotlout" he greeted "I've got a message from Hiccup; Plan B."

"At last" Snotlout jumped to his feet as Fishlegs disappeared back down the tower.

After shaking his dragon by the horns to wake it, Snotlout climbed into his saddle and took off straight up into the air. As soon as he was high enough not to get shot at too easily, the young man flew his dragon over to the outside of the castle walls and then sent a few quick Fire Bursts back at the wall which drew the attention of both the men on the ramparts and the other Dragon Riders.

"Plan B?" Stoick asked as he came alongside Hookfang.

"You better believe it Chief" Snotlout could not hide the joy on his face.

Stoick went to spread the word to all the other Dragon Riders, even though Snotlouts actions made it all fairly obvious. And so all the dragons that had been hidden by altitude and darkness now swept down from the sky screeching, roaring and burning the sky. Barf and Belch in particular, did an impressive job of lighting up the sky while Gauk just did his best to stay upright.

After Toothless had fired a plasma blast down both corridors, Hiccup moved on to the next desperate action. In order to prevent a steady stream of guards and soldiers from storming the Kings rooms and rescuing all of King Jorics captive Gentry, he and Toothless destroyed both staircases that led down to the next floor.

"Okay Toothless time to check the hallways" Hiccup decided.

Both corridors were still filled with dust, smoke and choking guards as the Night Fury bounded down the east hall knocking the poor men flying with both his head and his tail until Hiccup found what he was looking for; a narrow stone servants stairway but just before he ordered Toothless to blast the ceiling and bury the doorway he noticed and easier way – a door with a key in the lock.

"Okay you lot; out" Hiccup ordered the men as Toothless pushed them out of the hall way and the smoke slowly cleared "now go to the top of the stairs and sit down."

As quickly as he could manage, Hiccup rode Toothless down the west passage to herd out the dust covered guards on the opposite side after locking the other door to the servants stairs. The keys jingled in his pocket as Toothless trotted along growling at the frightened men in front of him. Once the guards from both hallways had been move up to the corridor leading to the Kings rooms, Hiccup slid out of the saddle and hurried off to see King Joric, but not before issuing one last warning.

"You men better stay on the floor; you don't wanna make my dragon angry" Toothless growled again as if on cue.

Hiccup ran to the end of the hall and dashed off to the left till he reached the library door, but could not find who he was looking for inside.

"Where's King Joric?" he asked Fishlegs who stood at the door.

"I passed him on the watchtower stairs; he was headed up with Astrid, two guards and a woman with a white face."

"Dame Incontinentia?" Hiccup pondered "but why would they… oh no…"

"STORMFLY; COME HERE GIRL" Astrid called to her dragon as the small group walked across the top of the watch tower.

"W-what are we doing up here?" the Dame asked nervously.

"I don't know" Joric replied as he smiled at Astrid "you'll have to ask the barbarian child."

Astrid smiled back as they approached the edge and looked out over the court yard and the inner buildings all the way to the outer wall and the roaring dragons beyond.

"Look out there" Astrid ordered "and you'll see why King Joric said you can't win."

Dame Incontinentia watched as her soldiers did their best to fire on the circling dragons and riders, who kept their distance and so dodged the arrows and bolts with ease. Occasionally, one of the dragons would fire back but they always aimed at the wall beneath the soldiers just to keep them on their toes.

"So now that I've seen it, do you expect me to change my mind?" the Dame asked.

"Yes" Astrid replied with the same stern conviction she had seen in Hiccup.

"Well I do not feel inclined to do so without a written agreement between myself and Joric."

"Is that your final answer?" Astrid asked.

"It is" the Dame replied.

"Then I've only got one last thing to say" Astrid declared.

"Oh… and what is that?"

"Stormfly; FETCH!"

**Anyone who does a lot of traveling will tell you that long trips start out exciting, but soon become tedious and boring and so when you've spend over 50 years traveling through space at the speed of light, you tend to crave a little company and a pet cat is just the thing to cheer up a weary traveler. The down side of being limited to feline company on such a long trip, is their unimaginative and repetitive vocabulary so I do hope that the people from this sector of the galaxy will understand why I did a little tweaking with Moon's mental capacity. I also hope you will all find it in your hearts to forgive me as I had no idea what he was truly like or what he would become. In other words; the incident with the red belt last week has made Moon very angry and he has vowed to take even greater revenge than he had previously planned. I wonder he can be placated with a new scratching post and a bag of cat nip?**


	49. Chapter 49

**Considering this story was written long before the release of HTTYD 2, I am sometimes amazed when similar bits turn up in another story by sheer coincidence. Case in point, Dame Incontinentia doing a great Eret son of Eret impersonation as she plummets towards the ground.**

49 Autumn Leaves

Astrid pushed Dame Incontinentia off the watchtower while Stormfly leapt over the side in pursuit of the screaming Dame.

"OH GOOD LORD" Joric exclaimed as he rushed to look over the edge "will… will he catch her in time?"

"I don't know" Astrid shrugged "I've never done this with a person before, or a cow like her; also Stormfly is a she. Didn't you hear me call her girl?"

In less than a minute, Stormfly had deposited the shaking, wide eyed Dame Incontinentia back at Astrid's feet and sat down looking as satisfied as a Deadly Nadder can.

"Good girl" Astrid petted her dragon and then got down on one knee by the Dames head and spoke sweetly.

"Have you changed you mind, hmm?"

"Y-y-yes… anything… no more… please" she begged.

Astrid shook her head; she actually felt sorry for this proud woman who was willing to let hundreds die to further her influence and who now lay shivering on the cold stone having faced her own mortality. The King signaled his guards who picked her up, put her back on her feet and led her back to the trap door. Soon after they had disappeared downstairs, Hiccup appeared on the watchtower with a distinct look of relief on his face.

"It looks like I was worried over nothing" he declared "by the look of Dame Incontinentia, she fell for your threat."

"She fell alright" Astrid smirked.

"When Fishlegs told me that you were bringing her up here, I figured that you might be going to threaten to throw her off the tower if she didn't cooperate; I was worried that it wouldn't work."

"But she did…" Joric began but was quickly stopped by Astrid.

"Why didn't you think it would work Babe?"

"Well because people like her are usually so overconfident, they're usually willing to call your bluff. When they see that you're not really going to go through with your threat, they never take you seriously again. But by the look on her face, she really thought you were going to throw her off; good call Astrid."

"Not a word" Astrid pointed at Joric.

"Would you like to have the honour of informing my father that he will not need to proceed to 'Plan C' milady?"

"It would be my pleasure" Astrid curtsied and soon departed on Stormfly.

King Joric and Hiccup watched her depart before heading back down.

"She's an amazing young lady" Joric stated.

"And she wants to marry me; how lucky am I?" Hiccup smiled.

"Extremely fortunate I would say" the King agreed.

"She did throw Dame Incontinentia off the watchtower, didn't she?" Hiccup asked.

"Err… yeah."

"And Stormfly caught her again."

"Again… yes."

"You're right Joric; she is amazing."

At first, the solders of Bolthorn Castle believed that they had succeeded in driving off the evil invaders when Stoick led the Dragon Riders away, but when word filtered through that they had been ordered to return to barracks, many began to wonder what had really happened. Then there was the rumor about the horrified scream heard from the watchtower and the silhouette of the giant bird many had seen in the moonlight. Eventually a notice was posted by the junior officers in every dormitory stating King Boron had agreed to step aside and give up the crown due to the unexpected return of the rightful heir to the throne; the grandson of King Joric the Fourth of Bolthorn, Joric the Fifth.

Stoick led the Dragon Riders back to the village of Staggshund where the townsfolk welcomed them all with open arms; especially Hak and Gauk who were the only two Elydonians to ride with the Chief of Berk. Fishlegs flew off to the harbour to tell the fleet all was clear and they could now tie up at the docks, while Ruff and Tuff spread the good news to Jorics forces east of Bolthorn, who soon began to make their way through the town, toward the castle.

King Joric was getting a headache. With the main staircase below the guest quarters destroyed, he had decided that all the minor nobles could safely be sent back to their rooms with only several guards posted at the locked doors to the servant's stairwells, but Dame Incontinentia and her co-conspirators were all taken down to the Military Watch house and locked up. There was some complaining from them at first but it soon ceased when they were informed the only other choice facing them was the dungeon; Hiccup was happy to tell them what he and Snotlout had experienced there, since the Nobles had never actually seen it. Suddenly the Watch house didn't seem so bad and they hoped it would just for one night anyhow.

"And then…" pause for effect "the head of the giant dragon struck the ground and the entire island rocked and shook with such force, that even those with two legs could not remain standing; which was just as well because a second later, a blast of fire and hot air shot out in all directions as the creature exploded and even set the ends of me moustache alight."

Although the hour was late, none of the people in the front bar of the Staggshund Tavern were considering leaving, and the barman had no intention of closing up for the night. Not only were they patiently waiting for any word from Bolthorn, but everyone was transfixed by Gobbers story. Somebody had asked him how he had lost his arm and leg, but Gobber had told them a much better tale was of how Hiccup had lost his. As the ale had flowed and the story continued, some of the older folk had suspected that Gobber was adding many embellishments and exaggerations to the tale of the Dragon Master and although they were impressed by his ability to tell a great story, they would have been even more stunned had they known that it was all entirely true.

"I don't think Hiccup would be very happy to hear you tellin' that story in Elydonia; you know how much he hates all the adoration it brings."

"STOICK; YOUR BACK!" Gobber jumped to his foot and almost fell over on the spot; Staggshund ale was a potent brew.

"Wait a minute" one of the bar patrons protested "what happened next?"

"Oh um… we found Hiccup, his left leg was gone and I made him a new one: The End."

"Well really Gobber" Stoick crossed his arms and shook his head in disgust "you can't end such a great story like that."

"Alright, alright but you have to tell us; how'd it go?"

"Plan A went well but we did have to resort to Plan B; fortunately we did not have to go on to Plan C."

"Oh… well… isn't that lovely; now WHAT ON EARTH ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?" Gobber shouted.

"Ya see Gobber" the Chief noted "it isn't nice to tell half a story."

"Yes alright but you have to tell us, WHAT'S HAPPENED."

Stoick sat down and was served with a mug of ale as he revealed to all present about the unexpected surrender of King Boron and how he had assisted with the clandestine invasion of Bolthorn Castle.

"… and then Astrid appeared on Stormfly to inform us that it was over and we would not have to place the castle under full attack so I gave the order to break off and we all returned here."

"But what happened inside the castle" Gobber was almost falling off the edge of his chair.

"I don't know" Stoick replied "I was flying around the outside on Bloodstorm throughout the whole adventure. But don't worry because Hiccup and Joric were on top of the situation and I'm sure someone will fill us in eventually. And while you wait Gobber, you can finish telling everyone the story of Dragon Island PROPERLY."

"Alright Mr. Grumpy pants."

Stoick wandered back outside the tavern only to find Odd and Sigrid were approaching him.

"It's not a bad night Chief so we've set ourselves up with the dragons in the field. But some of the people here have offered rooms for the night to any of us that want a bed" Odd informed Stoick

"Aye; the taverns rooms are full of travelers from Bolthorn so we may as well bed down outside" Stoick agreed.

"There's err… something else Chief" Sigrid added "Olaf and the Gronckle riders from the Sharktooth have turned up so Freya and Spitelout are headed over to Horston Beach to check on the ship, and Gauk's going with them to meet up with his wife and kids."

"That's fine; give him my thanks for his help tonight."

"There's more; he wanted us to ask you… well… now that Joric's in charge here and everyone has seen the dragons…"

"Ah… he wants to know if he still has to come back to Berk with us" Stoick smiled.

"That's right Chief" Sigrid nodded.

"Tell him I can't see any reason why he can't stay here if he wants; I don't think we have to worry about an Elydonian invasion anymore."

"Thanks Chief; we'll let him know."

The next morning, an early light shone onto the library through the high windows causing Hiccup to stir. The fire had gone out a long time ago but the room still felt quite cozy despite its generous size, partly because of the bookshelves that lined every wall and partly because of all the people sleeping in it. Snotlout and Tuffnut were sleeping next to the fireplace while Gil and Fishlegs had stayed in the plush, comfy chairs and Hiccup had curled up with Toothless who was the only dragon in the room after Joric insisted that Meatlug join Hookfang, Stormfly and Barf &amp; Belch on the top of the watchtower. The Gronkle had burned a large hole in the hallway rug runner when she'd sneezed the night before. Fishlegs had protested and promised that it would not happen again, but Joric decided that Gronckles and libraries do not belong together and so she had to leave. Joric, Godfred and Sigfus had stayed up long into the night making plans for the next day and had all eventually nodded off in the wee small hours of the morning.

Toothless gave a snort as Hiccup arose, but was not yet ready to wake up himself. Hiccup smiled as he looked over to where Joric and Sigfus were still seated, but sleeping with their heads resting on the table while Godfred had fallen out of his chair and now lay flat out on the floor. As quietly as he could, Hiccup opened the door to the Kings rooms and slipped through closing it just as noiselessly. He tiptoed across the floor to the Kings bedroom where Astrid and Ruffnut had slept the night away; he opened the door a crack and knocked softly but there came no reply save for the sound of Astrid snoring. Hiccup crept into the room and over to the bed where Ruffnut lay on her back, mouth open and drooling with half her limbs hanging off the right side of the bed making the young man wonder what mischief Tuffnut would have indulged in had he been there. A stone dropped in her open mouth perhaps, or maybe her hand in a bowl of warm water; you never know with the twins.

Moving around to the left side of the bed, Hiccup smiled at the epitome of snoring cuteness that lay before him, looking so contented and comfortable. Kneeling down, he stroked her hair as he whispered in a soft sing song voice.

"I know what you did last night."

Astrid stirred but her eyes stayed shut tight.

"Don't tell me it's morning already" she mumbled.

"It's morning already" Hiccup replied.

"I asked you not to tell me that" Astrid yawned "So… Joric snitched on me huh?"

"No, I worked it out for myself; which wasn't easy since Dame Incontinentia has a naturally white face."

"Believe me babe, there is nothing natural about that woman's face; Gobber would look way better in a dress than she does."

"Yeah" Hiccup agreed "and you've also discovered a new way of persuading people to surrender information."

"Hmm… yes… I must remember that one; it might come in handy again one day."

"I'm going down to Horston Beach to check on Olaf and the crew" Hiccup informed her "do you wanna come too?"

"Yeah… but not yet; I'll meet you there later when I'm awake."

"Okay; can I leave the other riders in you capable hands?"

"It'll cost you" she informed him.

"How much?"

"This much" she replied and threw her arms around his neck.

"Hmm" Hiccup commented as their lips parted "Morning breath."

"Get used to it" Astrid declared as she turned over and went back to sleep.

_**You humans are so stupid. Marty stopped me from using his computer weeks ago so while he is at work, I just go for a walk down to the local public library and use one of theirs; and do the people there try to stop me? Of course not; they just stand around and gawp at me while saying things like "Aww, look at the little Kitty; he thinks he's a person" but if any of those morons bothered to look closely at the screen they would see that oiufgqeyf98y874=jvfe=wef]-8ru[ioh3r[oi38'po=]ityf8h;poiqryc0cdcpif0857gnvt0yfher-03983yrfj08yfh89y0987y9**_

_**Sorry about the keyboard mash; some idiot actually did try to get me off the table but I stopped him. He won't try that again, you should have heard him scream; there's blood everywhere. Well I'd better go home now before Animal Control arrives.**_


	50. Chapter 50

50 But Not Forever

Hiccup greeted the dragons on the watchtower one by one in the pre-dawn light, rubbing their chins and necks in just the right way. He started with Meatlug who was the only dragon that still slept, but her snore became a purr as Hiccup rubbed her tummy while Barf and Belch placed their heads on his shoulders; Barf even licked Hiccups face with his rough forked tongue.

"Your riders won't be too much longer" he spoke soothingly "and then we'll all be off again."

"You've all been brilliant over the last week" Hiccup mentioned as he petted Hookfang "we could not have done it without you all."

He moved over to Stormfly who stopped her preening to joyfully receive the adoration the dragon felt she so rightly deserved.

"Thank you" he hugged the dragon's neck "thank you for taking such good care of Astrid. Also for catching Incontinentia in time and ending this whole mess. You are just like your rider; truly amazing."

A few minutes later, Hiccup climbed into his saddle and Toothless shot into the morning sky. It felt good to stretch his wings without the worries that had plagued them all for the last week or more. The dragon could sense it in Hiccups mood; things had changed – things were different and his friend was more relaxed this morning as they both just enjoyed the sky, the clouds and the sunrise.

Whilst it was true that Hiccup did not know exactly what he'd find at Horston Beach, he thought that he had a pretty good idea of what it may be. Sleeping Vikings, working Vikings or maybe even drunken and hung over Vikings, but what he did not expect was an all out screaming, yelling and stomping family battle between Gauk and his daughter Dianta.

"What on earth is going on here?" He asked Spitelout as he landed near the Sharktooth.

"Gauk has informed his family that they do not have to return to Berk with us. His wife Karin was quite pleased but his kids... as Gobber would say 'Not so much' and it appears that the young girl is taking the news the hardest."

"IT'S JUST NOT FAIR" Dianta screamed and stamped her feet as Hiccup and Toothless approached Karin who held on to young Rowan while her daughter tried to yell the roof off the roofless beach.

"I assume this is our fault?" Hiccup asked Gauk's frustrated wife.

"Yes... although not entirely" she replied "I understand how much danger my husband was in with Rekkur on the throne and so I understand why we had to leave before. I'm happy though that we won't have to leave now, but Dianta had really set her heart on being a Dragon Rider when she grows up, just like that girl Astrid."

"You can still come with us" Hiccup offered "and this time it would not have to be permanent. Maybe Gauk could be some kind of 'Ambassador to Berk' for a while."

"But I really don't want to go; all my friends and family are here."

"Do you think a ride to Staggshund on a Night Fury will calm her down?" Hiccup offered.

"It may do, but it may start up all over again when you've landed. At least it will give Gauk and me a chance to get on the road home."

"Well... if you want to give her the news" Hiccup informed Karin "I just need to check the longship before we go."

Hiccup returned to Spitelout and Freya and was relieved to hear the yelling stop behind him.

"Aren't Olaf and the crew here?" he asked.

"No" Freya replied "They went back to Staggshund with your father, so we came to check on the ship."

"You can tell Stoick that she looks in fine condition thanks to the good weather and the soft sand; so once the kegs are filled with water, Olaf will be able to relaunch and head for home" Spitelout grinned.

"Thanks I'll pass that on; I see you've got Viper with you" Hiccup noted "how is he doing."

"It's obvious that he misses Ivar" Freya pointed out "so Spitelout has been trying to keep him happy and so has Cuddles; I swear to you my dragon knows something is wrong with Viper."

Hiccup turned to leave but then remembered "Oh... please tell Astrid and the others that I'll meet them in Staggshund."

When Hiccup got back to the top of the beach, he saw Dianta was very busy trying to make friends with Toothless. Rowan sat with Cuddles, Viper and Adelinde while Gauk had finally managed to finish loading his cart for the trip to Staggshund.

"What should I do with Adelinde?" Gauk asked as Hiccup approached.

The beautiful Nadder that had been assigned to carry the Elydonian would have to return riderless if Gauk did stay, but for now she was very good company for the mourning Nightmare.

"She can stay here with Viper and Cuddles; I'll tell Stoick where she is."

Hiccup noticed Karin smiling to herself as she watched her youngest child conversing with three dragons as if he expected them to answer him.

"Rowan was quite skittish when the dragons arrived back last night; being around them is much different in the dark" she mentioned "but he calmed down when he saw that one of them had brought his daddy back. When the morning came and he saw his sister petting them, he really changed his mind... and so have I."

"Sometimes it just takes a little interaction to really get to know them" Hiccup noted.

"The more I think about it, the more I believe it would be alright for Dianta to be a Dragon Rider when she's older... if it's alright with you and your people" Karin informed him.

"I think she's old enough now; we have children younger than Rowan with pet dragons and I wasn't much older that Dianta when I first rode Toothless; and he was a wild dragon back then."

"Maybe so... but you saw the way she reacted when she found out we were not be going to Berk; I think her attitude need to mature a little before she is allowed to go off on her own."

"Well you are her mother so I can't argue, but I'll talk to my father about it and see what he says because if she did join us, I think she'd have to move to Berk; she could still visit home of course" Hiccup pointed out.

"And she'd have an incredible life" Karin nodded.

"If it's okay with you, I'll have a chat to her on the way to Staggshund about what's really holding her back."

"It may help coming from you" Karin nodded.

There was no conversation during the first few minutes of the flight as Dianta held on to Hiccups chest so tight, he was finding breathing difficult. He was even sure she hugged him tighter than Stoick did during the chief's first dragon ride. He could certainly tell this was no embrace of passion; this was white knuckled terror as the young girl finally realised what it meant to be a Dragon Rider.

"Are you alright back there?" Hiccup asked and followed up with "You don't have to hold on so tight; Toothless won't drop you."

"W-w-we're s-so h-high up" she shivered, but not from the cold.

"Oh come on! You've seen the dragons flying; you knew we'd be going this high."

"B-but it's s-s-so dif-f-f-rent when y-you're up-p here."

"Have you got your eyes shut?"

"OF COURSE I'VE GOT MY EYES SHUT; ARE YOU AN IDIOT?"

"Maybe I should take you back" Hiccup noted.

"NO! Please... I'm sorry... it's just... so..."

"Not what you expected?"

"Dad was right; it is scary."

"He got used to it and so will you if you want to; but I can take you back if it's too much" Hiccup offered again.

"NO... no... I'll try... now what do I do?" Dianta asked.

"The hardest part is getting used to the height, so don't concentrate on the ground. Look straight ahead just like you do when you're walking or riding a horse; do you ride horses?"

"Oh yes" she replied "that's why I thought I'd have no trouble with dragon riding."

"Okay then; look straight ahead" she opened her eyes a little "now look up at the clouds."

Very slowly, Dianta became accustomed to the sky around her and Hiccup found it easier to breath.

"That's it; now remember when you look down, watch the ground miles ahead of you, not right underneath you."

Hiccup managed to get most of the stain out of his tunic, but getting rid of the smell was going to take something a little stronger than river water.

"I'm really, really sorry Hiccup" Dianta apologised for the umpteenth time as Hiccup wrung out his shirt and put it back on.

Toothless was having a wonderful time jumping around in the shallows and making the biggest splashes he could manage.

"We're not far from Staggshund now, so maybe we should walk the rest of the way... or at least until my clothes dry out a bit."

"Honestly Hiccup I am really, really, really..."

"ALRIGHT... I get the message."

Hiccup didn't ask her to, but Dianta walked ten feet behind Toothless as they wandered down the road because she couldn't look either the young man or the dragon in the eye at this time. They had been walking for about fifteen minutes when Toothless suddenly lifted his head and looked around the sky.

"Do you hear something Bud?" Hiccup asked but then he heard it too; the cry of a Monstrous Nightmare high overhead.

"Better give them a call Toothless" the Night Fury roared a reply and the dragons began to circle.

After several seconds, all but one had resumed their course to Staggshund, while Astrid and Stormfly set down next to the pedestrians.

"Hey Babe; whatcha doin'?" Astrid asked as she dropped out of her saddle and onto the ground.

Astrid was about to take Hiccups arm for what she'd hoped would be a nice romantic stroll when reality struck like one of Gobber's hammers.

"Oh my; what is that amazing aroma you've discovered?" she asked "you smell worse than Prince Nainn."

"Dianta has discovered that dragon riding is not as easy as it looks."

"Where is she?"

Hiccup looked behind him only to discover that Dianta was gone.

"IT'S NO GOOD HIDING; COME ON OUT" he called.

A very embarrassed young girl stepped out from the undergrowth on the side of the road.

"Hello" Astrid smiled "remember me?"

"Y-yes; you came to our farm with your dragon… and I saw you on the beach at Horston… I'm really very sorry."

"What for?" Astrid asked.

"What do you think?" Hiccup shrugged.

"I… err…" Dianta stammered "well I… I THREW UP ON YOUR BOYFREIND."

Astrid rushed over and hugged her as she began to cry from the intense shame she was feeling.

"Oh Hiccup" Astrid shook her head "What did you do? Was it the spinning or the power dive?"

"WHAT? No we were flying straight, calm and level; I swear we were."

"Really?"

"YES; REALLY."

"All right, calm down, maybe it was something she ate" Astrid looked Dianta in the eye "don't worry about it; no harm done."

"Oh really" Hiccup stood with his hands on his hips "if you think so, then why don't you come and give me a hug?"

**Disaster has struck – again (this is starting to be a regular occurrence). I recently received a call from my local library telling me that Moon has been appearing there daily while I'm at work and using the public access computers and when one of the librarians tried to stop him... well... let's just say that it wasn't pretty. The time has come – he must be stopped so I have stripped my ship of its weapons and electro force armour and converted The Contessa (my car) into an Ultra Mega Cat Hunting Machine. As soon as I have posted this chapter, I am leaving to travel the land (maybe the world) in order to track him down and bring him in.  
Who knows, there may be a TV series in this.**


	51. Chapter 51

51 It's Difficult Being The King

"Hiccup?" Stoick knocked on the door of the bathroom in the Staggshund Tavern.

"COME IN DAD: I'M ALMOST DONE."

Stoick walked in and placed some dry clothes on a chair by the door, while Hiccup overused a long handled scrubbing brush in a desperate attempt to remove all traces of the smell keeping Astrid, and everyone else for that matter, far away from him.

"Well you certainly look cleaner" Stoick grinned.

"Thanks Dad; how's Dianta?"

"Still apologizing and she insisted she be the one to wash out your clothes, which she has done. They have been hung out to dry and we've managed to borrow these for you" he gestured to the chair.

" Astrid has filled us in about what happened in the castle last night as well; much to Gobber's relief."

"Oh really" Hiccup smirked "and did she say how it came to an end?"

"Well… let me see now; she said you had most of the leaders captive, thanks to Boron's little trick of pretending to still be the King, until the last two sounded the alarm and that was why we had to keep the soldiers busy with our mock attack so they wouldn't move into the palace."

"Yes, that's right; but how did she say we ended it?"

"Err… Joric showed one of them what they were up against with the dragons and they decided to surrender; is that not what happened?"

"Oh yes, yes" Hiccup nodded innocently but uttered under his breath "I'm no snitch."

"What was that son?"

"Oh… err… I was just thinking; you know that special way you like to refer to Astrid?"

"You mean as my future…" Stoick began.

"Yep; that's the one… well… it's official."

"Ho HO HOOOO" Stoick began to leap and dance around the bathroom with such vigor, that the round metal tub that Hiccup was bathing in began to move across the room from the vibrations the Chief set off in the floor."

"Dad… DAD… calm down; don't you think we should wait till we get back to Berk before we make the announcement?"

"Oh come on son; who do you think would be surprised? Everyone has been waiting for you to pop the question for months."

"Yeah… well… about that Dad; I didn't actually…"

Stoick suddenly stopped dancing and grinned at his son "You mean… she asked you?"

"Well there were mitigating circumstances."

Stoick burst out laughing "I might have known that you'd drag your feet."

"Foot Dad."

"As long as it's done, that's the main thing. Hurry up and get dressed; I'm going to give my new daughter a big hug."

"She's not Your DAUGHTER YET DAD" Hiccup shouted after him, but Stoick wasn't listening.

"Humph… he could have at least handed me my leg" Hiccup pouted.

The sleeves were a little long so Hiccup rolled them up to just below his elbow when he suddenly heard another knock on the door.

"Come in" he replied as he checked out the borrowed boots.

Astrid entered, closed the door and then collapsed in the chair that had, until five minutes ago, held Hiccups borrowed clothes.

"Are you alright?" he asked the young lady who was looking somewhat stunned.

This was one of those rare times when Astrid had sad, puppy dog eyes as she sat in the chair and sighed.

"I always thought you were just naturally skinny, but know I see that it's your dad; he made you like that by hugging you too much."

"I can honestly say that Dad is not normally big on hugging" Hiccup smiled as he took her hands, lifted her to her feet and wrapped his arms around her.

"Gently!" she declared through gritted teeth "I think I may have a cracked rib or two… or possibly some kind of internal injury."

"Oh don't be such a baby; he just got too excited when I told him about the engagement."

"I'm sorry Hiccup but I can't marry you; not until I've done a lot of intensive training to increase my upper body strength."

"How much?" he asked.

"Oh not much. Only about three or four hundred percent maybe; it shouldn't take me more than fifteen to twenty years if I train hard."

"You've got five" Hiccup insisted "I wanna start a family when I'm in my early twenties."

"Do you really?" Astrid threw her arms around his neck and smiled broadly.

"Yes and I knew you were faking it" he kissed her nose and went to pull his boot on.

"Seriously though; I don't think your father knows his own strength."

"I never realized you were so frail" Hiccup noted "Would you like me to ask Dad to go easy on you in the future?"

Then as he stood up in his borrowed boot, a wet towel hit him square in the face.

Hiccup and Astrid walked out of the tavern and were greeted with an interesting and yet familiar sight. Although the architecture was very different in Staggshund, it was starting to bear a striking resemblance to Berk with the people going about their daily business while dragons walked, flew, slept and played all about them.

"What is going on with your father?" Gobber asked Hiccup as they watched the Chief of Berk walking along, almost dancing while happily greeting everyone who passed by.

"I have not seen him so happy since the day you were born; and that was just how he looked back then too."

"Well it is a lovely day" Hiccup offered "there is peace between Berk and Elydonia and he'll be headed home soon."

"Hmmm… could be" Gobber nodded "but it may be the news of your engagement too."

"How did you..? Oh… Olvor; she did say that her silence could not be bought."

"True but don't be mad at her; I really did need cheering up after I lost my little Pigg."

"I hope you don't mind me asking, but what have you done with him?" Astrid asked.

"I had not even thought about it when some of the locals came and offered to do a special memorial to him and to all the other dragons that helped defend the town from Lord Tosh. We've buried him in a spot by the road at the western entrance to the town and the memorial will be built on top."

"That's good" Astrid nodded "That's really very good."

"I thought so too, and it gives us a good reason to visit sometimes."

As the three were chatting, Stoick the Vast approached them with a slightly worried look.

"Now don't be angry" he told them "I swear that I didn't tell anyone about you two, but everyone seems to know; even Snotlout has congratulated me."

"Don't worry about it Dad" Hiccup smiled at his father while Astrid patted the back of his big calloused hand "Olvor sorta found out thanks to my slip of the tongue and it appears that she's stolen your thunder; I think she may be almost as excited about as you are."

"I seriously doubt that" Stoick pouted.

Most of the Dragon Riders were spending the day resting after the last night's mock battle, and enjoying the hospitality of the Staggshund locals; as well as making some preparations to return home to Berk. Dianta was not as nervous or embarrassed now Hiccup was all cleaned up, so Astrid and Stormfly took her for some slow, low level flights to help her become more accustomed to flying. Soon the two girls had become good friends and bonded over their mutual love for dragons. Stoick did not take much convincing when he and the other Dragon Riders were asked to stay in town for one more night and make a fresh start for home the next day. Later that afternoon, a group of twenty men arrived on horseback led by King Joric and Sigfus, so Stoick was glad he'd stayed.

"Well well well, if it isn't the King of Elydonia" Stoick beamed as he and Gobber approached with arms open wide "Who's runnin' the land while you go out for a little ride to Staggshund?"

"I can't believe it's finally over" Joric told the Chief as they greeted each other "Now comes the fun part; trying to keep the entire country in order and in peace."

"Well you've got many friends here to help and some from Berk too."

"I assume you'll all be headed home soon" Joric looked sad.

"Aye, in the morning; it's a long trip so we'll probably head for Lookout Island on the first day and spend the next night there before going on to Berk."

"I understand your ship… the Sharktooth is it?"

"Aye that's the one" Stoick replied.

"I understand the Sharktooth is your only ship; is that right?"

"Well we had a larger fleet, but they were all destroyed a year ago on the very last day of the dragon war and since we've become Dragon Riders, we put off the rebuilding while we first tend to the village. It's taking some effort to accommodate our reptilian population."

"Then I would like to offer you two gifts as thanks for all you help. Firstly, the last ship that I commanded as captain; it's the smallest one in our fleet, but it was also the first to invade your land; so I think you should have it as a trophy of your victory over Nainn. Also we've named it the Nobel Pigg."

"Aww; that's nice" Gobber grinned "a memorial and a ship to m' wee dragon."

"The second gift I'd like to make is still being built. It hasn't been named yet, but is was going to be the Elydonian navy's new Flagship, the 'Rekkur' but I was thinking of calling it 'The Mighty Ivar'. What do you think?"

"I think I like it; I like very much" Stoick replied.

"Now what's this about a memorial?" Joric asked.

Gobber and a few of the elders of Staggshund led Sigfus and the two leaders just out of town to a mound of soil with a small pile of rocks on top, while Astrid and Hiccup followed behind. Joric looked out over the field with its crop of wheat burned and trampled during the battle of Staggshund and thought silently for a moment.

"Who owns these fields?" the King asked.

"Err… I own the field on the south side of the road" one of the villagers stated.

"And I own the one on the other side" declared a second.

Joric turned and considered the fields again as three women approached from town; Sigrid, Olvor and one other. After King Joric had pondered for another minute, he turned and addressed the men from Staggshund.

"I wish to purchase these two fields" he declared "you will be paid fifty gold coins for each."

The two men looked at each other in surprise "That's err… well… very generous Your Majesty… much more than they are worth, but err… why do you want them sir?" one asked.

"I want to have another memorial built on the opposite side of the road, with the names of everyone who died here and an explanation of why. These fields shall always be remembered as the place where Elydonia almost fell into full scale civil war."

"So we should not grow crops here anymore then?" the men from Staggshund asked.

"Oh no" the King declared "by all means continue to farm here; better to use the land and honor those who died, than to let it go to waste."

"If that is the case sir and we can continue to farm here, then you don't have to buy these fields; build your memorials with our blessing sir."

"Thank you but the people who will be remembered here, paid for peace in Elydonia with their lives, so I will not take this land from you at no cost; you will be paid and that is final."

"I think this guy will make a pretty good King" Stoick whispered to his son who nodded in agreement.

They all began to return to the village when Joric noticed Sigrid was now amongst them; he smiled and turned a little red.

"Oh… hello… it's err… nice to see you again."

"Yes it's good to see you too" Sigrid agreed "I'm not sure if you've met my friend Olvor, but you know this other young woman of course."

Joric looked at the woman a little confused. She was very pretty with a yellow flower in her short hair and a light summer dress that showed her beautiful figure. She was certainly not the kind of woman a man would easily forget, but somehow he could not place who she was; until she spoke.

"Hello Your Majesty… hello Sigfus" her face was also turning a little pink.

"Wh-what the… Kylan?" Joric stammered and looked her up and down.

"Oh my goodness" Sigfus stumbled back and nearly fell over.

"How… how long have you been a woman?"

"Oh, only a few days; ALL MY LIFE YOU IDIOT!" she smiled.

"But… but… … … I need to sit down" the King declared.

**Howdy kids, my name is Old Man Jenkins; Marty has asked me to post his stories for him while he's away. I'm not sure what he's doin' because he said something about tryin' to catch a cat, something else about the Moon and some great peril that he has unwittingly brought into the world – personally I think he's a little crazy.**

**Maybe I should tell you all a little bit about myself;  
I use to run the lighthouse at Shipwreck Cove back in the 1970's where I discovered a cave with a stash of old pirate treasure in it. Because of to the tides, the cave was only accessible for about an hour each day and it would take me 25 minutes to get in and another 25 to get out so I had only 10 minutes each day to grab some of the loot. I soon realized that it was going to take months and months to get it all out, so needless to say I had to come up with an idea to keep people away while I recovered the treasure for myself. I took advantage of an old legend about a ghostly sea monster and made myself a costume with scuba tanks inside and luminescent paint on the outside. I used it to scare away the people from the local university who were digging in the area looking for things of historic value.**

**Everything was going wonderfully and I'm sure I would have gotten away with it too; if it wasn't for those meddling kids and their pesky dog.**


	52. Chapter 52

52 A New Life

"Just when I thought everything was returning to normal" Stoick shook his head "How did all this happen anyway?"

The Chief of Berk sat on the porch outside the tavern with his people; only Sigrid was inside with the Elydonians.

"Well I had to cut open Kylans shirt to work on the cross bow bolt in what I thought was His shoulder" Olvor explained "but when I did, there was another broad bandage around her chest to strap down and hide her... well... you know... and so when I cut that off, her secret was out. Kylan had lost a lot of blood and I wasn't sure if she would live so when I'd patched her up, I confided in Hiccup so we could discuss whether we should tell everyone who she really was if she died."

"But why didn't anyone tell me about this?" Stoick asked.

"Well to be frank Chief, it was none of your business" Olvor informed him "I discovered it by accident and when Kylan woke up, she asked us to keep quiet. Sigrid and Freya had a long talk with her last night about her new opportunities with the new King and new allies so after sleeping on it, she decided to stop hiding the truth."

"It's amazing what some new clothes can do for a woman" Astrid noted "but I wonder if she will ever get out of the habit of speaking in that deep voice?"

"Hey there" Snotlout walked up to Dianta who was receiving some instruction on the finer points of Zippleback training from Ruffnut.

"What do you want" Ruffnut sneered "looking for a new girlfriend now that your last one is marrying someone else?"

"No" he declared angrily "but thank you for being such a jerk because that IS why I'm here."

"Wait... what?" she looked very confused "you're here 'cause... I'm a jerk?"

"I'm glad you agree" Snotlout grinned proudly "but Astrid asked me to come and have a chat with our little friend here about life."

"Astrid... really?" Ruffnut crossed her arms suspiciously.

"Yes really" he grabbed a chair from a nearby porch and sat down "Hiccup told me about your desire to be a Dragon Rider, but apparently your having some problems."

"Hiccup hates me because I threw up when we were flying here" Dianta pouted.

"Yep" Snotlout declared "he said that's what the problem was."

"You're kidding" Ruffnut was in mild shock "Hiccup really hates her?"

"No you idiot" Snotlout replied "the problem is Dianta thinks everyone is against her if things don't go exactly right; and that is why Astrid asked me to come here..."

"Because if there is anyone who knows about things not going right" Ruffnut grinned "then it's you."

"You're not helping Ruff."

"I'm not here to help, I'm here to make you look stupid; but you make it too easy."

"Hmm... well... that's kind of my point; it's like how Ruffnut makes my life difficult, but that does not mean that she hates me."

"You keep telling yourself that bright boy" Ruffnut grinned.

"Astrid and Hiccup both think that you're old enough to train as Dragon Rider..." Snotlout informed the young girl.

"They do?" Dianta's eyes lit up.

"But they also agree with your mother when she says you need to calm down a bit first."

Both Ruffnut and Snotlout could see an explosion building up in Dianta so Snotlout changed his direction.

"Listen for over a year now, I've been telling everyone that Astrid was in love with me and we'd be married one day. Now I know that it is not gonna happen, but am I upset?"

"Yes" Ruffnut nodded.

"Shut up Ruff... well... err... actually... yes I am... a bit..."

"Told ya."

"And I told you to shut up. But I don't hate Astrid for choosing the fishbone instead of me and if Hiccup doesn't hate me after I tried to win Astrid over for the last year, then what's a little puke between friends? I just wish that I'd been there to see it."

"Me too" Ruffnut grinned.

"I'm kinda hoping it'll happen again one day so I can have a laugh at Hiccups expense."

"So what are you saying?" Dianta asked "Are you telling me that Hiccup doesn't hate me, but I still can't come back to Berk with you all?"

"Not this time, but soon and you've still got the rest of the day to check out all the dragons and maybe even have a ride or two."

Dianta wanted to cry, scream or maybe both but although emotions were flowing strong within her, there was also a small voice that whispered 'keep calm – show them you can do it' so she closed her eyes and took a deep breath and screamed silently inside.

"I can't wait to tell Gil about you" Sigfus smiled to himself.

Sigrid and King Joric had just left the tavern intending to make some final arrangements with Stoick, leaving Kylan and Sigfus back in the re-opened tavern.

"How do you think he'll take it?" Kylan asked.

"Pretty much the same as Joric and me, but there were all those after dinner farting contests you and he would indulge in. Seriously though; I didn't think women farted... well... not like that anyway."

"Of course women fart you idiot" Kylan laughed "we just don't make as big a deal out of it like men do."

"So what are you going to do now?"

"Hopefully the same thing I would have done if I was still pretending to be a man. You guys have all accepted the women from Berk, so you tell me; will you all accept me too, or do I have to leave with the Vikings?"

"And I thought all we were gonna get was a new King" Sigfus sighed "but it looks like we're gonna end up with a new Elydonia too."

"Humph... don't hold your breath; changing a few people's ideas is very different from changing a country."

"So is Kylan your real name then?" Sigfus asked.

"Lana" she replied "I was fourteen when I decided that I did not want to marry the man my parents had chosen for me, so I stole some clothes, cut my hair and ran away. I felt like I had just killed Lana so I played around with those words and came up with Klyana. But that still sounded too feminine so I dropped the second 'A' and Kylan was born."

"So which one are you going to use now?"

"Does it really matter?" she grinned "I'll answer to either."

"Thanks for letting us stay Chief" Gauk smiled "I hope you're not offended."

"HA, not at all" Stoick replied "I assume you love your home as much as I love mine."

"Is Hak still going with you?"

"Who knows" Stoick shook his head "I know he wants to come with us, but he hasn't been home to see his family yet so what happens when he does in anyone's guess. Oh, excuse me; Sigrid is trying to get my attention."

"So you're defiantly staying then" Hiccup approached with the other young riders as his father walked away.

"Yes indeed; I've got the okay from Stoick so we'll all be back on the cart and headed off to the farm tomorrow morning."

"No more sailing then?" Snotlout asked.

"Not till after the harvest; I've got enough leave coming to me and I want to spend some time with the wife and kids. Maybe my next sea voyage will be to Berk, but not as part of an invasion this time" he grinned.

"Well if you do come to Berk, feel free to bring Dianta" Astrid offered "if you think she's ready."

Needless to say, a feast was planned in Staggshund for the Dragon Riders last night in Elydonia, so Odd and Olaf took a few of the other riders over to the Sharktooth in the middle of the afternoon. They took one of the fishing nets from the ship and then went in search of a large school of anything tasty and their haul was so successful, it took five dragons to bring it all back. And so it was the villagers, the Dragon Riders, the dragons, the King and his entourage all enjoyed a massive feast of fish, beef, fish, pork, fish, chicken, fish and fish (no spam though) as well as six large barrels of Elydonian stout ale and several kegs of cider. Songs were sung (mostly by Gobber), toasts were proposed, belts were loosened and promises made to keep in touch as the night wore on and the ale dried up.

"That certainly was quite a night" King Joric commented to Stoick the next morning.

"I think I've discovered something very interesting" Stoick swayed a little.

"And what is that my friend?" Joric asked.

"Don't overdo the celebrating when you've got two days of flying ahead."

"At least you'll be gliding smoothly on a dragon; I have to go back to Bolthorn by horse."

"Good morning Milady" Hiccup was just finishing up tying his pack to the back of the saddle on Toothless as Astrid walked up to him "Are you and Stormfly ready to go."

"Hmm? Oh... yes we're ready" Astrid replied.

"You seem a little distracted this morning."

"Sorry Babe; I was just saying goodbye to some people and I was particularly looking for Dianta but her mother says that she's disappeared."

"Oh... I am sorry to hear that; do you think she may have slipped back into her old ways?"

"No, Ruffnut told me that she was showing great self control yesterday afternoon so I think she just needed some alone time."

"Yeah... I can relate to that" Hiccup nodded.

"HICCUP" Stoick called out as he rushed up panting "I'm glad I caught you; I just heard some wonderful news so I wanted a quick word before you go. Please excuse us Astrid; leader talk."

"Err... dad... future wife... leading Berk together into a brighter tomorrow and all that jazz."

"Oh... of course... sorry Astrid; you too indeed" Stoick shook his head "I'm gonna have to get used to this."

Everyone in Staggshund had waved off Olaf and the Sharktooth crew with much cheering, but it was now time for the Chief of the Dragon Riders to lead his people (well, most of them) on their long journey home; so the general mood in town was becoming much more melancholy.

"Well... I'll see ya soon Dad" Hiccup shook his father's hand but soon got pulled into one of the Chiefs famous bear hugs.

"Better you than me" Astrid whispered under her breath.

"I'm very proud of you son... of all of you" he glanced over at Astrid and the others "you have all done a brilliant job and turned a crisis into a victory; Well done everyone."

Joric offered his departing friend his hand but, much to the surprise of his bodyguards, the King soon found himself on the receiving end of another Stoick hug. Sigfus even had to hold back the guards while assuring them that not only was the King was quite safe, but this was all part of diplomacy and good foreign relations.

"Better him than me" Kylan whispered to Sigfus before stepping back a few paces just in case.

A massive shadow covered Staggshund as the sky filled with the departing dragons. The people who stayed behind could not help but think life in the village was going to seem very dull from this day forth.

"So which way are you headed?" Kylan asked as the young riders all mounted their dragons.

"South I think" Hiccup looked to the sky "it would be nice to enjoy some warmer weather for a while."

"If you follow the west coast" Joric informed them "the next big town you see will be Port Yoric where the Mighty Ivar is being built. Another half hour and you'll be over the country of New Loran; don't stop there whatever you do. Just keep flying south till you see another castle. Then go on for another couple of hours at least and you'll be safe."

"Thanks Jor... sorry KING Joric" Hiccup nodded in respect.

"Hey, as the Chiefs son you're like a prince here; plus the fact that we owe almost everything to you and the Dragon Riders, so call me whatever you want."

"Anything you say Stinky; KIDDING, kidding, put those swords away" Hiccup joked with the guards.

"Besides" Astrid added "that's Nainns nickname.

"And how would you like it if I called you Stumpy?" Joric smiled.

"You're too late" Snotlout grinned smugly.

"Congratulations you two" were the last words Hiccup called out as the dragons lifted into the air and moved off to the southwest.

"I know that won't be the last time we see them" Kylan sighed "but..."

"Yeah" Joric nodded "I know you mean."

"Well... come on Stinky" Godfred grinned "let's get going."

"Watch what you say brother; I have a dungeon now."

**Howdy folks, Old Man Jenkins here. Marty says this is the last chapter, but it's not the end and there will be more in a few days. What on earth is he talking about? If there is more, then this can't be the final chapter surely. Oh well; I told you he was crazy.**

**Speaking of crazy, I saw the most amazing thing last night. I now live across the road from Marty's house because I was forced to leave Shipwreck Cove after the whole 'Ghostly Sea Monster' thing (even after 40 years in prison – those people really know how to hold a grudge) and last night, after sunset, I heard some noises coming from his garage. Needless to say, I went to investigate (just like those meddling kids and their stupid mumbling dog would) and I saw... a white cat. It was putting strange looking objects on the back of a hovering sled – they looked like weapons from a sci-fi movie. The cat heard my footsteps and spun around.**

"**You didn't see anything here tonight old man" it threatened me before it leapt onto the hovering machine and sped away.**

**How did that cat know my name?**


	53. Chapter 53

**Howdy folks, Old Man Jenkins here once more with the REAL final chapter. Marty said in his last e-mail (I'm still not used to all this modern computer stuff) that I should thank you all for taking the time to read his stories and for all your kind words. He says that he has taken a 'Lap Top' with him while he is travelling (I assume that is some kind of spinning toy from Lapland) so he will keep writing and will start posting a new tale of love, grief, friendship and dragons as soon as he caught a cat.**

**This last chapter takes place a year later and a few months after the next two stories, but Marty wanted to give a little teaser**

**I told him that there was a cat here last night, but he said that he was looking for a very special cat. The one I saw was riding on a heavily armed flying sled and could talk (much better than that mumbling dog that put me in prison) so I can't help but wonder; how special a cat does he want?**

**Well, bye for now and watch out for meddling kids in a brightly painted van.**

**OMJ.**

Epilogue

"Is everything in order for next week's visit to Staggshund Godfred?"

"All preparations are on schedule at the moment my dear brother, and we've even received a message from Berk that the famous Mulch will be accompanying Chief Stoick."

"Brilliant; so at last after all this time, I will finally get to officially meet the man who knocked me out cold back when I was only a Ship's Captain."

"I understand he even plans to make a gift of the offending hammer" Sigfus informed King Joric.

"Well that should give everyone a laugh" the King smirked "any word from the Queen yet?"

"I understand she has arrived back from Port Yoric and will be with us as soon as she has read all the messages that arrived in her absence, and dealt with anything of urgency" Kylan revealed.

"Good; how about the rumours of an incursion from over the Mandorian border?"

"Very minor Your Highness" Boron leaned forward and spoke "but our forces have caught three spies from Mandoria who were sent here to discover if the rumours were true about Elydonia having an army of Dragon Riders at its command."

"Well that's an old rumour" the King snorted "there hasn't been a Berkian Dragon Rider in Elydonia for over eight months."

"But they will be back for a visit in several days, so perhaps we should increase the border patrols immediately" Kylan suggested.

"I agree with Kylan Your Majesty" Sigfus nodded "it would most wise to do so until the Dragon Riders have departed once more."

"Understood and so ordered" Joric nodded "Call back as many soldiers as needed from leave for Special Border Duty, as well as making use of the palace guard. We won't need them all when the Berkians are here; an army couldn't get past them and their dragons."

The door to the library from the Kings rooms opened with a slight creak.

"Good evening my dear" Joric greeted his wife as she entered the room.

"Hello boys, hello Kylan" the Queen acknowledged everyone with a smile.

They all rose to their feet and bowed "Your Majesty."

"How is everything down in Port Yoric; was it a pleasant and successful trip?" Lord Boron asked.

"Oh yes; there are only a few delays with the new deck design, but the ship will be ready to present to your friend Stoick when he arrives" the Queen informed them as she sat down in the Kings lap.

"Thank goodness" Joric sighed "I was hoping all would go smoothly after what happened to the last ship I gave him."

"I wouldn't worry Sire; Stoick knows what was done, had to be done" Kylan noted.

"I know that you all have much more to go over, but I'm afraid I will have to be very selfish and demand it must all wait until tomorrow. I've been away for four days so the King and I have some catching up to do" the Queen hinted.

"As you wish Ma-am" Sigfus smiled as they all rose again and filed out of the library closing the door gently behind them."

"I'm so glad you're back" Joric kissed his wife "it's difficult getting everything done around here without your help."

"Oh... is that the only reason you keep me around then; for my organisational skills?"

"Oh yes" he smirked "that was the only reason I married you. Your beauty, your style and your gorgeous figure had nothing to do with it whatsoever."

"Liar" she smirked as she tweaked his nose.

"You're really looking forward to seeing Chief Stoick again aren't you?" the Queen asked as she stood and walked to the door with the Kings hand in hers.

"Oh yes" her husband replied "When it comes to ruling the people of Elydonia, I've learnt a lot from him; he's a good man, a good ally and a very good friend and I've missed him since he and his people left last summer."

They slowly walked past the reception hall and into the royal bedroom just enjoying each other's company. The Queen seemed slightly different somehow but Joric could not quite put his finger on it. A few days apart can often cause little changes in people and so the King put it all down to her absence, and his longing to see her again.

"It will be interesting to see who Stoick brings with him when he arrives" Joric noted as he got ready for bed.

"Yes indeed" the Queen replied as she turned down the covers "and you will have the pleasure of telling them all the good news."

"What good news? If you mean about the ship..."

"No silly, not the ship; I mean the Good news."

"The memorial at Staggshund?" Joric was really very confused.

"No... The Good News" the Queen talked slowly, but he still looked confused "about the Royal Line."

"The Royal Line? What are you..." Joric stopped suddenly as his mouth dropped open so wide, his chin almost touched the floor.

"huh" he squeaked "are you saying..."

"Yes... I am."

"You mean you're..."

"Uh-huh" she nodded.

Jorics legs failed him and he dropped down onto his bottom with a distinct thump.

"I'm gonna have a baby" he gasped.

"Yes you are" the Queen laughed "but don't worry, I'll help."

"A little Princess" he sighed.

"Or Prince" his wife pointed out "I can't guarantee which."

Joric picked himself up off the floor, crawled across the blankets and pulled the Queen back onto the bed. They rolled around, back and forth in each other's arms giggling and squealing for a few minutes until they were both breathless from laughing so much. As Joric fell back on the pillows, the Queen lay down at his side with her head on his chest just listening to the sound of his heart.

"I must remember to send Nainn a thank you note" Joric sighed.

"What... why? It's definitely yours."

"No..." Joric laughed "if Nainn had not been so stupid back when he was the prince, I would still be sailing around in the smallest ship in the navy, and I would not be the King of Elydonia with a wonderful wife and a little princess on the way."

"I never thought of it that way before" she nodded "maybe you should let him out of prison."

"I wouldn't go that far" he sneered "a thank you note will be enough."

Joric got up and extinguished the candles before returning to his wife.

"I don't think I'm gonna be able to sleep much tonight" he smiled in the dark.

"Well you'd better try because you're not gonna get much rest when the baby arrives."

"It'll be worth it... I'm sure of that" he leant over and kissed his wife "I love you... very much."

"Yes you do" she replied and kissed him back.

"Goodnight Joric" she whispered.

"Goodnight Sigrid."


End file.
